Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  “Both of you are scoundrels who are determined to wreck my family! Let me tell you, no way! This is my house, and these are our belongings. Let go! I won’t let you take away a single piece of clothing from my house!” Ding Jiayi dashed toward Qiao Nan and Old Yang as if she was mad. Her frantic behavior was similar to a patient who escaped from a mental hospital.

  Old Yang was an outsider, and he had heard of Ding Jiayi’s bad deeds. Besides feeling surprised at being treated in such a manner, he did not care much.

  However, when Old Yang heard that Ding Jiayi screamed at Qiao Nan and wanted to send her away as well, he could not tolerate her behavior anymore. “Old Qiao, should I send Nan Nan away first?”

  “Sure, bring Nan Nan away.” Qiao Dongliang grabbed Ding Jiayi with one hand and told Qiao Nan calmly, “Nan Nan, you will go ahead with Uncle Yang to the rented place first.”

  “Okay.” Qiao Nan found a seat on Old Yang’s tricycle without a hint of expression on her face.

  There was no electric tricycle at the end of the 20th century. One had to pedal the tricycle by themselves. Old Yang pedaled the tricycle and left the quad. He could not help but sigh. Old Qiao had his hands full with such a chaotic situation at home.

  As the old saying went, the husband of a virtuous wife seldom suffered misfortune. Old Qiao would have a lot of troubles in the future.

  “Old Qiao, you can’t do this to me. I have been married to you for almost twenty years. I gave birth to two children and I took care of this family for you. Old Qiao, you can’t be so heartless. Think about it. If I did not marry you twenty years ago, would you be able to get yourself a wife? Would you have two daughters? I may not have any credits, but I had put in hard work. You can’t leave me when I am old and haggard!”

  Ding Jiayi did not care about Qiao Nan leaving the house. She was only worried that Qiao Dongliang would leave her. She grabbed at his arm, refusing to let go.

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  “I wouldn’t be able to find a wife?” Qiao Dongliang was exasperated. “Ding Jiayi, do you think that you will be able to find a good man if you leave me? Back then, we just made do with each other. We don’t owe each other anything.”

  “Dad, what about me?” Qiao Zijin pulled at Qiao Dongliang’s other hand. “Dad, don’t you want me anymore? I didn’t make any mistakes, Dad. You can’t be so unfair to me. Nan Nan is your daughter. Am I not your daughter, then? Dad, are you that heartless as to leave me behind? Do you really want me to be without a father?”

  “Dongliang, I am wrong. I promise you this will not happen again. This is the last time. I will not act rashly anymore. I will definitely lead a down-to-earth life in the future and will not pick on Qiao Nan. Qiao Nan is my daughter. Actually, I really want the best for her. It’s just that I do not want her to go the wrong way. Dongliang, you have to understand. No mother will harm their daughter.”

  “That’s right, Dad. You must not misunderstand Mom. She appears to be cold and aloof, but in fact, Mom is very concerned about Nan Nan. We are one family and must not keep secrets. If Nan Nan had made it clear to Mom in the first place, Mom would not have been suspicious and ended up doing the wrong things since her intentions were initially good. Dad, you can’t deny that Mom meant well!” Qiao Zijin cried her eyes out.

  Qiao Zijin was terrified when she saw that Qiao Dongliang was about to leave with Qiao Nan.

  She had thought that even if her father found out what happened, he would just scold her and give her mother the silent treatment—that it would not take long for things to pass.

  It had not crossed Qiao Zijin’s mind that Qiao Dongliang would want to leave with Qiao Nan after what happened today.

  “Zijin, let me ask you. Do you really mean what you said?” Qiao Dongliang took a deep breath and looked at Qiao Zijin. “Was what happened today Nan Nan’s fault? Zijin, what are your thoughts on this?”

  “I……” Qiao Zijin’s face turned red, and she was lost for words. No matter how she answered this question, she would be in the wrong.

  “Zijin, Nan Nan has always done better than you in terms of studies. Do you know why I listened to your mom and favored you over Nan Nan regardless? That was because I felt that you did better than Nan Nan in terms of human relations. It is okay to be not as good in your studies. When you enter society, it is more important to have people skills. Do you think that the people in the society will agree with what you said just now?”

  “Dad……”

  “Zijin, regardless of whether you really did not understand or pretended not to understand and said those words just now, I am really disappointed with you.” Qiao Dongliang sighed. He should have known that Zijin’s problem had something to do with her personality. It was not so much as being spoiled by her mother.

  Was Ding Jiayi the sole mastermind behind what happened today?

  If that was the case, why was Zijin at the scene as well? Why did she rush out early in the morning?

  No matter what, Qiao Dongliang had to admit that both Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin knew about the incident that happened this morning. Both of them had wished that Nan Nan had done something wrong. They had planned for it to be known by everyone so that people would forget about the scandal—the day he reported to the police about the money that was stolen by Ding Jiayi.

  At the thought of Qiao Zijin wanting to harm her own sister, Qiao Dongliang was not only disappointed but also felt a chill in his bones.

  Qiao Zijin could watch by and sleep well while Ding Jiayi worked through the night to earn money for her tuition fees. She could complain to Ding Jiayi behind his back that she was disappointed in him—that the useless him had two daughters but could not afford to give them a good life.

  Now, Zijin framed Nan Nan yet again for reasons unknown to him. Though the weather was still hot in September, Qiao Dongliang felt cold to the bones. He shivered as if he had broken out in cold sweats from the cold December weather.

  They were a family of four, but Qiao Zijin did not care for anyone else besides herself.

  To Zijin, did her family mean anything to her at all?

  “Dad, that’s not the case. You…… you misunderstood me.” Qiao Zijin was so anxious that she stuttered. “Dad, listen to me……” Qiao Zijin did not know what to say as well.

  Should she say that she framed Qiao Nan on purpose or that after going through so many years of education, she could not tell right from wrong anymore? Should she say that Qiao Nan was in the wrong so that she did not have to bear any responsibility?

  “Dongliang, please don’t do this. If you think that we are in the wrong, we will change. We will definitely change this time.” Ding Jiayi’s face had turned red from crying. She really did not want this family to fall apart. She did not want to lose Qiao Dongliang.

  “Ding Jiayi, you may be willing to make a promise, but I can’t bring myself to believe you.” Qiao Dongliang shrugged off Ding Jiayi’s hands coldly. “You must take good care of Zijin. You do not need to bother yourself with Nan Nan. I will take good care of her. From today onward, the two of you can rest assured that Nan Nan will no longer be a hindrance to the both of you.”

  “No, I will really change my ways. I will really change!” Ding Jiayi was terrified.

  “Okay, I will give you another chance.”