Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  “No.”

  “Why?!”

  Qiao Dongliang squinted at Ding Jiayi. “I remember that Zijin likes to watch the television shows more than Nan Nan. Nan Nan is usually at school. I’m often the one who uses the television. When Nan Nan is back, she will spend more time reading. There’s no difference in having the television here. Nan Nan will behave in the same way regardless. But Zijin is different. She gets distracted easily and her grades cannot be compared to Nan Nan. If you bring this television home, Zijin will be staring at the television screen whenever she’s at home. I can’t harm Nan Nan, and neither can I do that to Zijin.”

  “Isn’t that simple? I’ll supervise Zijin so that she will not watch it. Let me use this television.” If their house had such a big television, she would be so proud of it.

  “No.” Qiao Dongliang sneered. “After such a long conversation, it’s still all for your own benefit in the end. Let me tell you, all the things in his house belong to Nan Nan. You can’t even touch a block of wood here, not to mention the television.”

  Zhu Chengqi spent so much money to install so many things in this house for Nan Nan, not for him. Zhu Chengqi actually wished to acknowledge Nan Nan as his goddaughter.

  Everything he had earned previously was all given to Zijin. He had already let Nan Nan down.

  Nevertheless, Ding Jiayi still wished to help Zijin fight for Nan Nan’s belongings. As long as he was alive, this would not happen!

  “You!” Ding Jiayi was furious. She was completely unafraid of Qiao Dongliang about money. She did not even care about the ‘divorce threat’ that Qiao Dongliang just mentioned. “Zijin said that we’re still married and not divorced. Whatever you earned is considered matrimonial estate and I’m entitled to half of it. I have the right to take half of it. Not only will I take the television and the phone, but I’ll also take away half of the things in that room!”

  \r \r \r

  If Old Qiao did not take into account their relationship, then she could only talk to him about the law.

  Qiao Dongliang’s face was cold. His heart was even colder. “Matrimonial estate? It looks like Zijin has been teaching you quite a lot recently.”

  Ding Jiayi swallowed her saliva to embolden herself. “If you’re really not willing to let me take the television and phone away, fine. How much money did you spend on these things? Give me half of the sum. Then, I won’t bother about it anymore.”

  Old Qiao’s heart was completely biased toward that wretched girl. Indeed, that wretched girl’s grades were much better than Zijin’s.

  If Old Qiao could not afford to allow both daughters to continue their studies, would he sacrifice Zijin because of the wretched girl? If that were the case, she had to save up more tuition fees for Zijin before Old Qiao could do that.

  Qiao Dongliang sighed. “You wish to take half of it and be so calculative with me? It’s not that you can’t. Tomorrow, the officers in the Civil Affairs Bureau will return to work. We’ll divorce first before talking about the matrimonial estate. Will you go? Even if you’re going, this television and phone were not purchased by me. They belong to Nan Nan only. It will not be considered as part of our estate. However, I will cough up half the value of these two items even if I have to sell my blood and give them to you. Will that do?!”

  “After divorce, Zijin will follow you and Nan Nan me. The small courtyard and the Qiao residence will all belong to you. I won’t take half of it. Nan Nan will not care about it either. I’m taking care of Nan Nan and will, of course, find ways to raise her. When Zijin attends college, she needs to spend quite a lot of money. But I have to take care of Nan Nan too. In that case, after settling our divorce, I’ll give you a monthly allowance of one hundred yuan until Zijin graduates from college.”

  “O-Old Qiao. It’s only the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. You…… what do you mean by all these? You…… you don’t want me anymore?” Ding Jiayi was stunned. They were merely talking about the television. She did not understand why Qiao Dongliang would link the topic to divorce.

  All this while, Ding Jiayi had never thought of getting a divorce. She really could not bear to leave Qiao Dongliang.

  Qiao Dongliang was still so intimate to her on the eve of the Lunar New Year. It was just seven days later and this man did not care about her anymore?

  “It’s not that I don’t want you anymore. You’re the one who doesn’t want me. At the mention of money, your eyes are all red and you’re so calculative with me. Have I made myself clear? If we don’t divorce, we won’t ever get this clear. We can only clear this matter after a divorce. If you don’t wish to live with me anymore, that’s fine. I won’t force you. We’ll go on our separate ways soon. Perhaps you can even find another man seeing that you’re still young. When the time comes, you have to rub your eyes and find someone you truly wish to be with. This time, no one is forcing you to get married. You don’t need to pick the wrong person in a hurry anymore.”

  Qiao Dongliang felt extremely sick and tired, especially when he was together with Ding Jiayi. It was much more tiring than working.

  “No, I don’t wish to get a divorce. I’m not divorcing.”

  “Then, that television and phone, do you still want half of them?”

  “I……” She could not bear to part with such a huge sum of money, yet she did not wish to divorce. Could she think of a way to get the money first, and then do away with the topic of marriage later?

  “Old Qiao, don’t be so annoying. You’re just angry that I’m materialistic. You should think about what you are doing. Your heart only has Qiao Nan as your daughter now. Yes, I’m a woman and I’m not capable of earning as much money as you do. If I rely on myself alone, I can’t raise Zijin up at all, and neither can I support her in her studies. The more this is the case, the more I have to plan for Zijin so that she will not be shortchanged.” Ding Jiayi would not concede defeat. If Old Qiao was not so biased, would she need to worry so much and cause her marriage to suffer?

  “I’m biased toward Nan Nan? I did a lot for Nan Nan? Ding Jiayi, you still have the face to say this. Who did I spend my savings over a decade on? Come on, tell me! Not to mention spending all my savings, I even left the whole Qiao residence to Zijin and you. Am I biased toward Nan Nan or Zijin? Do you have any conscience? Is this house ours? It’s borrowed!” Qiao Dongliang was utterly disappointed. His elder daughter was selfish, and his wife, Ding Jiayi, was basically blind and heartless.

  “Every time I think of the things that I have done for Nan Nan, I can’t hold my face up as her father!” Qiao Dongliang scratched his face hard and caused many red lines to appear on it.

  “Old Qiao, I can’t even recall the number of times that you’ve brought up divorce. Old Qiao, are you serious?” Ding Jiayi ground her teeth. It was only right that Old Qiao was good to Zijin. But every single cent that Old Qiao spent on the wretched girl was a waste. Zijin should be spending that money instead.

  “I’m serious.” Qiao Dongliang revealed a smile that was uglier than a cry.

  Divorce.

  This word was typically used by the woman, especially for the sake of threatening their husband. However, in their household, the situation was reversed. He was the one who had been threatening Ding Jiayi with this, hoping that Ding Jiayi would change her temperament and restrain herself a little.

  Sorrow. This was Nan Nan’s and his sorrow.

  “Old Qiao, I don’t know if you have other thoughts. If your heart is not with me anymore, I can’t stop you. You want to divorce? Fine. But I have a condition.”