Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  Holding the sum of money in his hands, Shi Peng did not decline. “Okay, we’ll be neighbors from now onward. Let’s help and support each other more. Although I’ve bought the house, there’s still some time needed for the change of ownership and related paperwork. There’ll be another few months before I move in. During this period, I’ll need to seek your help to keep a watch on my house. I’ll pass the keys to you. When Qing Qing comes back during the weekend, you can pass it to her.”

  Qiao Nan was a good lady. Qiao Nan’s father was not bad either. He was honest and not greedy.

  “That’s certainly not an issue.” After he had given back the money, Qiao Dongliang felt much more at ease now.

  Toward the fact that Shi Qing was the child of an army officer, Qiao Dongliang was more willing to take care of her. Nevertheless, Qiao Dongliang did not feel comfortable taking Shi Peng’s money.

  “Goodbye.”

  “Goodbye.”

  After Shi Peng passed the house keys to Qiao Dongliang, he immediately returned to the army.

  Just as Qi Minlan returned to the house of the Qiu family, she received a phone call from Shi Peng. “I’ve already bought a place near the house of the Qiao family and passed the keys to Qiao Dongliang. When Qing Qing comes back, Qiao Dongliang will pass the keys to her. As my sister, it’s rare that you’ve been of help to me. Thanks for reminding me to find such a good neighbor.”

  After saying these few words, Shi Peng immediately hung up the phone.

  The mood and expression of Qi Minlan were not something that Shi Peng cared about.

  “Too much!” Qi Minlan, who did even have the chance to scold, turned red with anger.

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  Qi Minlan knew that, when Shi Peng made the call, he had definitely bought the house and was not just frightening her. Her brother had always been action-oriented. He was not the type who was all talk and no action.

  However, she never expected Shi Peng to act so quickly without any hesitation. He seemed so firm and determined.

  The courtyard near the house of the Qiao family was not cheap. It was within the school’s vicinity and near Ping Cheng High School. It was not just expensive but also difficult to find.

  In other words, Shi Peng bought a house near the school just because Shi Qing still had to study at Ping Cheng High School for another two years. Shi Peng definitely had a lot of money in his hands.

  However, Qi Minlan would never be able to get a single cent of the money!

  Qiu Chenxi, who made her face fairer during the past month and was finally willing to go out and meet people, asked when she saw Qi Minlan’s expression, “Mom, what’s wrong again? Dad and that woman still refuse to break up with each other? Won’t grandpa and grandma persuade him?”

  “Hahaha.” Qi Minlan sneered. “Your uncle’s resignation has been approved. Soon, he will be working in the government sector in Ping Cheng. There’s nothing great about the Shi family anymore. Will the attitude of your grandparents toward me remain unchanged? Your grandmother had said that as long as your dad still remembers to go home and I remain as the daughter-in-law of the Qiu family, I don’t need to bother about other matters.”

  “.……” Qiu Chenxi fell silent for a moment. “Mom, you can’t listen to grandpa and grandma. You can’t just let this matter rest. He’s rearing a mistress outside. Is Dad not afraid of investigations or disciplinary actions against him, that they will expel him from the party because of integrity issues?”

  Did her father lose his mind because of a woman?

  “I can’t say that. You can say it yourself. Your surname is Qiu, whereas my surname is Qi. Your grandparents had been suppressed too harshly in the past. Once your uncle leaves the army and there’s no one to subdue them, they will become cheap and bad!” Qi Minlan snorted and ugly words came out of her mouth.

  Qi Minlan was aware that her temper was strong. In the past, because of the Shi family and the Zhai family, the elderly couple of the Qiu family was all smiles when dealing with her.

  Qi Minlan knew that Qiu Qin could rise through the ranks all because he married her. Hence, while she was tyrannical in the Qiu family, she felt that it was within her rights to do so.

  Now, the marriage between Zhai Sheng and Qiu Chenxi had come to a standstill. Shi Peng even left the army and became an ordinary civil servant, holding a cradle-to-grave job. Within a short time, all the advantages held by Qi Minlan in the Qiu family vanished.

  Without Qi Minlan’s suppression, at the very least, Grandmother Qiu had finally turned into a real mother-in-law. Naturally, she had to show her prowess.

  Qiu Chenxi nodded. “Fine, I’ll speak out on this. But, Mom, you should know. My grandpa and grandma……”

  The reasons the elderly couple of the Qiu family indulged Qiu Qin was twofold. First, they knew that even if Qiu Qin had a mistress outside, as long as he was not too obvious and no one looked for trouble, there should not be a major problem. Second, the root cause was that the couple, in fact, preferred a grandson and not granddaughter.

  In the past, the status of their daughter-in-law was high and she was even connected to the Zhai family. Due to this, their granddaughter nearly became the daughter-in-law of the chief. Regardless of how much the elderly Qiu couple loved grandsons, they had never mentioned this in front of Qi Minlan and Qiu Chenxi before.

  It was just that, when the neighbors had a grandson, the elderly couple would always join in the fun, sending over some gifts and hugging the newly born male baby more.

  With this point alone, Qi Minlan and Qiu Chenxi had already seen through the minds of the elderly couple.

  In the past, it was uncertain whether Qi Minlan’s health was too poor or she did not nurse herself well during pregnancy. She had a difficult birth and lost a lot of blood when she gave birth to Qiu Chenxi.

  Although both mother and daughter were safe thereafter, Qi Minlan’s body had weakened and she could not conceive anymore.

  Qi Minlan could not conceive, and now, Qiu Qin had another woman. Then, there would be a chance that the woman would give birth to another grandchild for the elderly couple. How would they hold Qiu Qin back and not let him find that woman?

  “They wish to have a grandson? Next lifetime? Unless the Qiu family could repay me with all the interests and benefits that they deprived of me all these years, they can forget about having a grandson in their entire life till they die.” Qi Minlan sneered continuously.

  “What if that woman becomes pregnant?” Qiu Chenxi was more anxious than Qi Minlan. Would the Qiu family be willing to pay back all the benefits that they had gained?

  If the woman her father had outside was pregnant and gave birth to a son, her grandparents would definitely allow this child to enter the Qiu family and become her younger brother.

  Given what her mother had said, all the good things the Qiu family gained due to her mother would belong to this illegitimate child in the future. She was just a lady who would be married off. Most likely, she would not get anything.

  On what grounds!

  The Qiu family rose because of her mother. All the good things would be given to the illegitimate bastard of that woman outside. It would be unfair!

  Her status in the Qiu family had been threatened. Qiu Chenxi had no time to bother about Zhai Sheng and that hidden ‘vixen’ of his now.

  If she lost the glory as the only granddaughter of the Qiu family, Qiu Chenxi knew that she would not have much more competitive advantage over that young girlfriend of Zhai Sheng.

  The marriage between her and Zhai Sheng was called off. As such, her status in the Qiu family would become increasingly lower. The lower her status was in the Qiu family, the less possibility that she could be married to Zhai Sheng. It was simply a vicious cycle that was unresolvable.

  Hence, she definitely could not allow any of the ‘segments’ go wrong.