Qiao Nan did not care about the fierce looks that Zhai Hua had deliberately put up. “Sister Zhai Hua, don’t worry. Besides, I am not that easily bullied.” Now, she also dared to retaliate when Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin wanted to deal with her. Would she agree to be bullied by others?

  Zhai Hua was a very smart person. She understood Qiao Nan’s words immediately. “Why? Did someone really dislike you because of this first-prize scholarship?”

  Qiao Nan covered her mouth and smiled. “If I tell you that I have already been bullied last year, and there were rumors in the school that I was my father-in-law’s kept woman, do you believe it?”

  “My goodness, that’s terrible!” Zhai Hua almost jumped. “Is this person purposely going against our Zhai family? Which family’s child is that?”

  Qiao Nan held on to Zhai Hua. “This matter is not as complicated as you think. At that time, I just got engaged to Brother Zhai. I am just an ordinary college student in the capital. Father-in-law was implicated although he did not do anything. Coincidentally, mother-in-law was sick that day and father-in-law came to fetch me home to look after mother-in-law. When the other party saw father-in-law’s age and knew that he drove a Land Rover, I became a ‘kept woman’. However, don’t worry. I have resolved this matter. There won’t be any more issues.”

  Zhai Hua had black lines all over her face. “I’m really not wrong to say that the young ladies nowadays are too scheming. Are they brainless? Don’t they know that everyone has to be responsible for their own actions and speech? Don’t tell me she thinks that she will get away scot-free after spouting untrue words, that she doesn’t need to be imprisoned?”

  The most annoying thing was that she even maligned her father. This person had the gall of a leopard!

  “So how is she doing now?”

  “A little bad. She went back to where she came from.” Qiao Nan did not hide the truth. She said it bluntly.

  Zhai Hua looked at Qiao Nan from the corners of her eyes. “Did you stop her? You’re a lousy kind one!”

  “I’m kind?” Qiao Nan pointed to her own nose in disbelief. “Do you know that no one in the dormitory dares to bother about her after she created such a din? Even classmates from the same faculty dare not associate with her. If she is like me, who prefers to focus on studies, that’s fine. However, she is eager to make friends. Tell me. Given her character, will she feel comfortable staying in the school?”

  \r \r \r

  Most of those who were aware of the matter gave Lü Yan psychological abuse.

  Even though Qiao Nan disliked boycotting, she really had nothing to say when she encountered someone like Lü Yan.

  It was not easy for Lü Yan to make it to college. It was also not easy for her parents to support her through her education all this while. If Lü Yan could sort out her thoughts and focus on her studies, the psychological abuse from others would not upset her that much.

  However, Lü Yan was as scheming as before. As such, Lü Yan’s school life was not something that Qiao Nan could empathize with.

  Zhai Hua pinched Qiao Nan’s face. “It’s so rare. Given that soft and flour-like heart of yours, it’s considered extreme to have done what you did to this woman. Alright, as long as you’re not the type who apologizes to the person after the latter bullies you, then that’s fine.” The only regret was that Qiao Nan’s retaliation was not strong enough.

  If it was her or Zhai Sheng, they would have caused the college student to be expelled.

  She did not believe that Peking University was willing to accept a student who maligned others casually, who would be liable legally.

  After having a heart-to-heart talk with Zhai Hua, Qiao Nan waved the books in her hands. Zhai Hua rolled her eyes a few times at Qiao Nan unhappily. “I specially came to keep you company as Zhai Sheng is not at home. I am afraid that you will feel lonely. Who knows that your life is more fulfilling than mine.”

  “You can continue to keep me company. There are so many books on the shelves. You can just grab any book to read.” Qiao Nan blinked her eyes. Of course, she was glad that someone was willing to keep her company. However, she preferred a ‘quiet’ companion.

  Zhai Hua flung her hands. That look of disdain on her face was as if she was chasing flies away. “Don’t joke with me. I have finally graduated from school. Why would I still want to read books? No way, no way.”

  Having said that, Zhai Hua took off to her room. She had a look of worry on her face as if Qiao Nan was really going to make her stay behind and read.

  In the blink of an eye, it was the weekend.

  On this morning, Qiao Nan wanted to go out as per her usual routine. Just as she went down the stairs, she was stunned by the straight and tall figure in green army attire sitting in the living room. “Brother Zhai, you…… Why did you come back?”

  Brother Zhai looked fine but there were some greenish dark circles under his eyes. Obviously, he had not been sleeping well for some time.

  Qiao Nan’s heart ached badly at the sight of this. “You have just been deployed here and the leaders sent you for missions immediately. Do they need to be so anxious? How many sleepless nights did you have?”

  He was in good spirits. Coupled with the fact that there were many joyous events recently, Zhai Sheng’s eyes did not look like that of someone who had not slept for two days.

  With Qiao Nan’s concern, Zhai Sheng seemed to have taken a soup with a concoction of ten powerful tonics. His whole body felt much better. It was better than having ice in June. “Don’t worry. I am fine. I am new here and have thus encountered some situations. I’ll be fine after tiding over this period.”

  Zhai Sheng was very young and he had been deployed to the capital suddenly.

  The people in the new army did not know Zhai Sheng well. Although they heard that Zhai Sheng had many contributions and achievements, many people felt that these were empty talks.

  No one could guarantee that these so-called achievements of Zhai Sheng were not obtained through underhand means.

  Everyone did not trust the contributions of Zhai Sheng. Moreover, he assumed a senior position of great authority as soon as he joined. Zhai Sheng was basically given a promotion. To the people who took their job seriously and were willing to sacrifice their lives to protect the peace of the country, that was too unfair.

  This was not the first day that Zhai Sheng had joined the army. At first sight, he knew in his heart that many people in the new army were not convinced by him.

  If this problem continued to persist, Zhai Sheng would definitely encounter hindrances during his training and missions in the future.

  In the army, it was not necessary to speak too much. Basically, one could gain respect with absolute capability.

  Zhai Sheng was clear about this. Hence, he did not waste his breath on the new comrades when he joined the camp. He went by the books and did what he should. Those who were unconvinced could step out and challenge him.

  On the first day that Zhai Sheng joined the new army, he already had physical exchanges with a few of the people with the best brawns in his team. It happened in an alfresco setting and everyone witnessed that.

  Zhai Sheng fought with these people one by one.

  In this way, he won respect from others. At the same time, he was also testing the standard of the new team that he had just taken over.

  Undoubtedly, Zhai Sheng won beautifully in the end.

  Because Zhai Sheng won against his last ‘opponent’ after much difficulty, no one thought that Zhai Sheng was someone without substance or someone who was only good at talking thereafter.

  1129 Apply Leave to Collect Certificate

  In terms of physical strength, training content, and marksmanship, Zhai Sheng’s skills were definitely top-notch. He was very powerful.

  As for the last exchange, it was tough on him and he spent more time. Nevertheless, everyone who witnessed that took their hat off to Zhai Sheng, this new officer.

  It was not because of other reasons. That few skilled individuals challenged Zhai Sheng consecutively, one after another.

  In other words, besides having one-to-one exchanges, they were also rounding up Zhai Sheng at the same time.

  As such, the selected skilled individuals only needed to participate in one fight each whereas Zhai Sheng had to fight all of them one by one, one after another. After every round of exchange, his physical strength would diminish a little.

  In the end, Zhai Sheng was the victor. Even if he had lost, no one would say that he was a coward. They would only be convinced of Zhai Sheng’s guts.

  Of course, when Zhai Sheng eventually won, everyone did not seem as defiant and unconvinced as before when they looked at this ‘airborne army personnel’.

  It was uncertain if Zhai Sheng was considered lucky. After he had a run-in with his troops, the top management delegated a mission. Due to various reasons, this mission landed on Zhai Sheng’s plate.

  Zhai Sheng was well aware that the waters were deep in the capital and things would not be as peaceful as when he was in Ping Cheng.

  To him, this mission was very dangerous. Someone had plotted against him. They clearly knew that he had just arrived in the capital and was not very familiar with his troops, yet they deliberately forced this mission on him, hoping to see him make a fool of himself.

  Zhai Sheng was enduring the anger in his heart. Although he knew that he had been schemed against, he had to take on this mission. He had to remain nonchalant, accept it gracefully, devise a strategy, and pick the capable ones in his team to execute it.

  In the end, Zhai Sheng used his capability to prove to those people who harbored ill intentions that the men in the Zhai family were still the same as more than a decade ago. It was not good to provoke them!

  What made Zhai Sheng most happy was that this mission had been a blessing in disguise. After successfully completing it, he had used the shortest time to gain achievement in the new work environment.

  \r \r \r

  Most importantly, at the very least, those few army veterans whom he picked and brought with him in the mission had completely conceded defeat to Zhai Sheng, this new officer.

  These few ‘veteran’ soldiers had a good performance in the army. They were recognized by everyone as promising individuals.

  Precisely, these people were quite influential in the army due to this.

  When the junior heads affirmed Zhai Sheng, would the soldiers under their wing be at odds with Zhai Sheng?

  To these people, Zhai Sheng’s past contribution was void. However, every comrade whom they looked up to said that the new officer was very capable. Under his leadership, the army would progress and become the most outstanding team. Naturally, not many people objected to Zhai Sheng anymore.

  After completing his mission successfully, Zhai Sheng rushed back to the house of the Zhai family. He even specially wore his favorite well-ironed green army attire and waited for Qiao Nan to come downstairs.

  She was just studying and had already encountered various kinds of problems. Upon hearing Zhai Sheng’s words, Qiao Nan understood a little. “It’s really been settled? Next time, no one will dare to create hindrances for you anymore? Also, do you know who exactly in the army is at odds with you?”

  Although many people had complaints and dissatisfaction, some matters and problems would not erupt so quickly in the absence of someone taking the lead to stir up troubles.

  Someone was not happy about Brother Zhai’s ‘promotion’. Hence, someone had to step out first to take the wind out of his sail.

  In this aspect, Qiao Nan knew a little but she did not know how to manage it.

  Zhai Sheng carried Qiao Nan into his arms swiftly. He buried his head in Qiao Nan’s neck and took a deep breath.

  After his lungs were filled with that natural and faint body fragrance of Qiao Nan, there was a tinge of dreaminess in Zhai Sheng’s deep and hoarse voice. “No need to worry about me. I can settle this small issue on my own. Besides, Nan Nan, have you forgotten what day is today?”

  “What day?” Qiao Nan expressed that she had really forgotten.

  Facing the fair, tender, nice-smelling and snowy skin, Zhai Sheng’s mouth seemed to be acting on his own accord as it started chewing on Qiao Nan’s neck. “It’s your birthday today. From this year onward, today is not only your birthday but also our wedding anniversary date.”

  Today, he was going to bring Nan Nan to collect the wedding certificate. He would officially add Nan Nan’s name into the household register of the Zhai family. She would become part of his family!

  “M-my birthday?” Qiao Nan was in a slight daze. Qiao Nan had never celebrated any birthday in two lifetimes.

  Last year, the elders had wanted to celebrate Qiao Nan’s twentieth birthday but she declined it. She had no choice. During this time last year, Qiao Nan was enthusiastically preparing for the college entrance examination. She really could not find time to organize a birthday celebration.

  After some time, Qiao Nan, who had been used to not celebrating her birthday, had completely forgotten that she was born on this date.

  “Brother Zhai, are you really going to collect the certificate with me?” Tears welled up in Qiao Nan’s eyes. After collecting the certificate, she would truly and officially become Brother Zhai’s wife. This would be recognized in the eyes of the law.

  Her marriage with Brother Zhai was considered a military marriage. It would be protected by the law in the future.

  If Qiao Zijin snatched her love and became a third party like she did in the previous life, she would have to be imprisoned!

  Qiao Nan did not have any more feelings for Chen Jun. However, in her previous life, her only happiness of almost getting married had been destroyed completely via such a shameless means of Qiao Zijin. She even suffered badly from Ding Jiayi’s humiliation and scolding.

  Upon hearing that she was going to collect the marriage certificate, Qiao Nan had some phobia. At the same time, she also yearned to do so.

  As a very traditional Chinese woman, Qiao Nan viewed that red booklet that cost just a few yuan to prepare with utmost importance.

  “Of course.” Zhai Sheng gave Qiao Nan a loud kiss on the face. “I have already brought along my identity card and household register of family members. Bring yours along. Let’s go to the Civil Affairs Bureau now!”

  Zhai Sheng had also been waiting for this day for a long time.

  As he was going to collect the certificate with Qiao Nan soon, Zhai Sheng was in a very good mood.

  This was the moment that he had been waiting for and the reason that he had worked so hard to complete his mission and return home early.

  There were tears in Qiao Nan’s eyes as she smiled. Her tiny face rubbed in Zhai Sheng’s arms. “I’ll get it now.”

  After taking her identity card and household register, Qiao Nan quickly made a call to the department where she was having her social practice and requested for half a day off from her supervisor.

  Qiao Nan’s performance was excellent during the past six months. Due to her fluent English, she had received many praises when she entertained overseas tourists. She had also quietly raised the fame of the department.

  As such, the people from the office of the Palace Museum liked Qiao Nan, this junior, very much.

  Being able to receive the school-based first-prize scholarship was also largely due to the affirmation given to her by these people.

  1130 Qiao Nan Received a Presen

  For the past six months, Qiao Nan had neither been late nor applied for any leave. It was rare that she requested for half a day of leave today. As such, the other party approved it with no questions asked.

  This was a volunteer who could provide great customer service and was not paid any money. If they did not even approve the leave, they were also fearful that others would label them a slave driver.

  After applying for a leave, Qiao Nan got into Zhai Sheng’s car and left for the nearest Civil Affairs Bureau.

  The marriage of Zhai Sheng and Qiao Nan was a military one. Zhai Sheng had with him the marriage report approved by his superiors. As such, the process of collecting the certificate was very smooth and convenient for the two of them.

  As it was Saturday today, it might be a little cumbersome for others to do the collection. Nevertheless, they had no trouble given the special identity of Zhai Sheng.

  When the ‘piping hot’ and stamped certificate was out, Zhai Sheng snatched it away from Qiao Nan before she could hold and examine it. “Ah, Brother Zhai, what are you doing? I have not seen it clearly. This is mine. Isn’t yours in your hands? Why did you snatch mine away?”

  This was a marriage certificate that belonged to her. This was the first time that she owned it.

  At most, it was a red booklet with many photographs of her and Zhai Sheng. Although it was just an ordinary booklet, Qiao Nan cherished it very much. She wanted to flip it many times and look at it properly.

  Unfortunately, she had only seen the red booklet for a while before Zhai Sheng snatched it away unreasonably. That red booklet did not even carry any of her warmth in it.

  As a tall and grown-up man, Zhai Sheng’s movements were very careful when he was holding their wedding certificate. It was as if the red booklet would become spoiled if he used a little more strength. He then meticulously put them away in his pocket. “You don’t need this item at normal times. This kind of identification document is quite important, so give it to me and I will safeguard it together with mine.”

  When Zhai Sheng said this, it meant that he had already decided. He completely did not consider Qiao Nan’s opinions and thoughts.

  There was a row of imaginary black lines on Qiao Nan’s head. “Why do you insist on putting everything away at your end? Can’t I take care of it on my own?” Brother Zhai was too domineering to have done that.

  In the past, didn’t she safeguard her own identity card and household register before she married Brother Zhai?

  “No.” Zhai Sheng rubbed Qiao Nan’s hair like he did when they were young to appease her. “That’s the past. This is such a tiny item. I’m afraid that you will lose it. Don’t you trust me?”

  \r \r \r

  “It’s not that.” Qiao Nan denied honestly. Was it necessary to leave both wedding certificates to Brother Zhai? His attitude was too serious and solemn.

  She almost suspected if their wedding certificates were made from gold and not ordinary paper.

  “That’s good. Let’s go home and celebrate. We are finally married today.” After successfully ‘convincing’ Qiao Nan, Zhai Sheng’s mood turned even better. He felt that it was really great to marry a wife home. Good things kept coming his way.

  Qiao Nan passively allowed Zhai Sheng to hold her hands. She not only got into his car but also deliberately went marketing to buy a lot of groceries for the celebration. They wanted to celebrate their marriage ‘again’.

  “You have collected the certificate?” At the sight of her son looking excited and her daughter-in-law looking shy, Miao Jing was smiling so much that her eyes turned crescent-shaped. They had collected the certificate. Henceforth, Nan Nan’s name would be on their household register. There was nothing better than this.

  “Yes.” Zhai Sheng restrained his smile. “Is there someone else at home?”

  Tian Dong, who was sitting opposite Zhai Hua, could tell that the ‘someone else’ that Zhai Sheng was referring to was, of course, himself.

  “Dongzi is here for a meal.” Miao Jing’s smile turned even more enthusiastic and happy.

  An unmarried and mature man of marriageable age had asked her daughter out a few times after meeting the latter. He even came to their house for meals. It went without saying what this meant.

  She had not discovered anything mean or unreliable about Tian Dong yet. As such, when she saw that a man finally appeared by her extroverted daughter’s side, Miao Jing was very happy to see a good outcome.

  Tian Dong carried a box and passed it to Qiao Nan. “Congratulations to both of you.” He did not come to have a free meal.

  Qiao Nan, who was surprised at receiving a present, raised her eyebrows as she glanced sideways at Zhai Hua.

  She was going to collect the marriage certificate with Brother Zhai today. Besides the family, no one else knew. There came the problem. It was such a coincidence that Tian Dong had a gift for the newly married with him.

  Could it be that Tian Dong always carried one or two presents with him all the time out of courtesy to prepare for unexpected needs?

  “Do you mind if I open it?” She knew that Tian Dong came back from America. Even if Tian Dong did not pick up the liberal mindset of the foreigners, Qiao Nan believed that, at the very least, Tian Dong would not mind that she opened the present in front of him.

  “Sure.” Tian Dong raised his hand.

  Qiao Nan removed the ribbon, tore the packaging, and opened the box. “Necklace?” It looked like a diamond necklace. “Did you give this to the wrong person?”

  Wasn’t Tian Dong wooing Sister Zhai Hua? Shouldn’t such an expensive gift be given to Sister Zhai Hua instead?

  “No.” Tian Dong denied. “She doesn’t like it. If I really want to give her a present, most likely, a gun is better.”

  There were clear regulations on the allocation of guns in the country. Fortunately, the situation of the Zhai family was different from that of ordinary people. Such dangerous items could not be gifted to others. However, it was definitely not a problem to gift a gun with the latest model to Zhai Hua.

  After confirming that this present was for her, Qiao Nan accepted with a smile. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it.” He could get a ‘free’ meal after giving a necklace. That was a bargain no matter how he looked at it. Just as Zhai Hua had said to him, this young sister-in-law of Zhai Hua was quite interesting.

  The auntie moved all the groceries that Zhai Sheng bought into the kitchen. Using every trick in her bag and at her fastest speed, the auntie transformed them into delicious dishes.

  During this period, Zhai Sheng quietly took a few glances at Tian Dong.

  In the face of Zhai Sheng’s assessment, Tian Dong did not avoid it at all. He even confronted Zhai Sheng by looking directly at him in the eye.

  Although the two did not speak a word, the three women seated with them could vaguely feel the sparks between the eye exchanges of Zhai Sheng and Tian Dong.

  “Madam, the dishes are ready.” Oblivious to the situation, the auntie broke the stiff atmosphere. She had prepared and placed all the dishes on the table.

  “Please, help yourself.” Zhai Sheng smiled. They had not seen each other for twenty years, and Tian Dong had changed a lot.

  When they were young, even Zhai Hua could make Tian Dong cry. Now, Tian Dong dared to look at him in the eye. He was much more daring than before.

  Zhai Sheng was different from ordinary people. He was young and good-looking.

  However, he had an extraordinary job. He had seen blood and someone had died in his hands before.

  Although a person like Zhai Sheng might want to hide it, sometimes, they would exude an aura of ferocity that made people want to avoid him.

  When they met Zhai Sheng, this kind of ‘devil’, timid bad guys only wanted to avoid him totally. They would not bump into him face to face.

  “Come. Let’s eat. Everyone must be hungry.” Miao Jing knew that her son and Dongzi were done with the ‘combat’, so she became the mediator and asked everyone to start eating.

  1131 Qiao Nan’s Spring

  As the only elder present on the occasion, Miao Jing took the seat of the host.

  Zhai Sheng and Qiao Nan were husband and wife. Of course, they had to sit together. As such, Zhai Hua had no choice but to sit opposite them. The amazing thing was that Tian Dong took the seat beside Zhai Hua on his own accord.

  At this sight, outsiders who did not know the situation would believe that Miao Jing was very blessed. On Saturdays, both daughter and son-in-law came to dine with and keep Miao Jing company.

  The straightforward Zhai Hua gave Tian Dong an unhappy glare when she saw him sitting a tad too close to her. “You’re so big and I’m not petite either. Move your chair away a little. Otherwise, I’m afraid that I will knock onto your arms when I take dishes with my chopsticks later. That won’t be good.”

  After hearing Zhai Hua’s words, Tian Dong did not move away. Instead, to everyone’s surprise, he picked up some food with his chopsticks for Zhai Hua. “I will help you take the dishes. You won’t knock into me then. It’s too cumbersome to move the chair. Auntie Miao, don’t you agree?”

  “Ah?” Miao Jing, whose name had suddenly been mentioned, was stunned. She went along with Tian Dong. “This will depend on what you think. If you feel that it is troublesome, it is. If you feel that it is not troublesome, it is not then.”

  “.……”

  “.……”

  “.……”

  Besides Tian Dong and Miao Jing, who were conversing, there was only silence from the remaining three people present.

  Zhai Hua nearly spat out her rice. Her mother was tongue-twisting. Wasn’t it just moving a chair? She made it sound so complicated as if she was attempting an Olympics question.

  “Auntie is right.” Seemingly oblivious to the awkward reactions of the Zhai Sheng trio, Tian Dong even curried favor with Miao Jing. He then continued to fill Zhai Hua’s bowl with dishes. “You have a huge appetite. Eat more.”

  Tian Dong took food for Zhai Hua twice. Honestly, this action was a little too intimate.

  Undoubtedly, Tian Dong did this to convey one thing to the Zhai family: He liked Zhai Hua. He wanted not only to woo Zhai Hua but also to marry her. He was serious. Today, he was formally informing the Zhai family about this.

  \r \r \r

  At the same time, he also hoped that the Zhai family could stop organizing matchmaking sessions for Zhai Hua.

  That was right. Tian Dong behaved in this way today because he heard that Zhai Hua had wanted to go on blind dates and the Zhai family had agreed. They even deliberately spread this news so that relatives and friends could help look out for Zhai Hua.

  Tian Dong had never paid heed to Wei De. However, if someone were to really introduce people to Zhai Hua, those men who were going to attend the blind dates might be comparable to him.

  Wei De was an accident. Although he was a thing of the past, regardless of how smart Tian Dong was, he had no choice but to utilize some tactic when facing the straightforward Zhai Hua, which was to declare himself as the owner!

  Qiao Nan nudged Zhai Sheng with her arms. What was happening between Sister Zhai Hua and Tian Dong?

  She had thought that the two were just childhood friends who had not seen each other for more than twenty years. Although Brother Zhai had mentioned their anecdote when they were children, they were still very young at that time. That was just a joke and no one would take a child’s babble for real.

  However, at the sight of Tian Dong’s behavior today, Qiao Nan felt that although others did not take it for real, it did not mean that the two parties concerned did not take it to heart completely.

  At the very least, she felt that Tian Dong was quite serious.

  Tian Dong was a man of few words but his actions said otherwise.

  Obviously, the feelings that he had for Sister Zhai Hua did not happen in just one or two days.

  Zhai Sheng pinched Qiao Nan’s hands, hinting to her not to mess around at this juncture and affect his assessment.

  As she did not receive an answer from Zhai Sheng, Qiao Nan pursed her lips unhappily. After the meal, she informed the family that she had another commitment and left the house thereafter.

  Although today was a good day as she was married officially, she had not forgotten that she had to complete her social practice.

  After six months of perseverance, Qiao Nan’s standard of English had gradually improved due to constant interaction with overseas tourists.

  Qiao Nan learned not only the accent of American English but also that of British English.

  Perhaps Qiao Nan was quite gifted in this area. Under her perseverance and diligence, she had improved tremendously. As a result, when she received the tourists this year, they would always praise Qiao Nan and ask her if she had ever studied or lived abroad for a few years.

  As she gained experience in interacting with the tourists, Qiao Nan improved the standard of her speech. She was also able to freely communicate with foreigners without feeling awkward.

  After attaining such distinct results and the school-based first-prize scholarship, Qiao Nan’s interest in social practice grew. Her enthusiasm had also swelled tremendously.

  Under the influence of a positive cycle, the result was Qiao Nan’s graceful attitude, good looks, sweet voice, and awesome English.

  In short, Qiao Nan was getting the hang of this social practice. She was very young but she was adapting in the department like a duck to water, and she received much affirmation and help from many seniors and leaders.

  The classmates in the same cohort of Qiao Nan all felt that Qiao Nan’s academic performance was good. She was also a famous figure in the school. However, in terms of interpersonal relationships, they felt that Qiao Nan was quite pitiful because everyone ignored her, and vice versa. Regardless of how glorious she was now, it would cease to exist eventually.

  When Qiao Nan could not endure it further, she might develop an illness or depression under such circumstances. No one could tell for sure.

  The top students of famous schools becoming a lunatic eventually—this kind of news was not inexistent.

  Qiao Nan was in a lot of limelight now, but perhaps the next person being reported in the news would be Qiao Nan.

  These people believed that besides studies, Qiao Nan was definitely lacking in other spiritual aspects, that she actually felt extremely lonely at heart.

  Never would they have imagined that Qiao Nan did not suffer from any depression. On the contrary, Qiao Nan was extremely happy. She felt that her current life was more wonderful than ever. She was much happier.

  It was as if she had survived the winter in her life, and after much difficulty, welcomed the bright and beautiful sun in spring. Flowers were blossoming continuously, and there was so much beauty that one could not take them all in!

  As such, although today was the big day of her marriage, Qiao Nan did not give up her remaining half day of social practice. She diligently reported for work.

  Each time Zhai Sheng faced the Qiao Nan who was busier than him, he felt quite helpless.

  The military wife of his family was indeed different from that of others.

  “Zhai Hua, recently, I received a piece of the latest information. I have placed it in the study room. You can read it yourself.” Qiao Nan went for her social practice. Besides Qiao Nan, no one else had left.

  Zhai Sheng, who had just completed his mission, did not need to do anything. What he needed most now was to have a good sleep to replenish his energy.

  However, when he saw Tian Dong and the latter’s actions at the dining table, Zhai Sheng had to perk up to deal with Tian Dong, lest another family’s wolf take Zhai Hua away when he was not paying attention.

  1132 Given a Harsh Beating

  Regardless of how foolish or unladylike Zhai Hua was, she was also a woman from the Zhai family and his elder sister who was born a year before him.

  Zhai Hua could sense that the atmosphere was a little strange. Although she was normally at odds with Zhai Sheng, she gave Zhai Sheng a lot of face in front of outsiders. “Okay, I’ll go and take a look.”

  Miao Jing was rubbing her forehead. “As I get older, I don’t have as much energy as before. I feel tired easily after a meal. Zhai Sheng, I will leave you to host Dongzi. I will go and take a nap. Nan Nan has said before that taking afternoon naps are good for health.”

  Miao Jing could tell that her son wanted to have a good chat with Tian Dong.

  It was just nice. Miao Jing was also thinking of ways to understand what kind of person Tian Dong was.

  Both her son and daughter-in-law had a good sense of judgment in character. Earlier on, they had kicked out Wei De, this scum. Now, she would let her son assess properly whether Tian Dong was a potential candidate who was reliable and worthy of Zhai Hua.

  After sorting out her thoughts, Miao Jing decisively delegated this task of ‘checking out the son-in-law’ to Zhai Sheng.

  The women of the Zhai family left. Even the auntie who had followed the Zhai family to the capital was also holding a basket, expressing that she wished to go out for a walk and conveniently buy groceries for dinner.

  Next, there was silence in the house of the Zhai family. Only Zhai Sheng and Tian Dong remained behind for a face-to-face confrontation.

  At this moment, both Zhai Sheng and Tian Dong had become the most patient hunters. As the host, Zhai Sheng refused to speak. Tian Dong also maintained his silence. The two grown-up men were at a stalemate with each other without uttering a word.

  After half an hour, Tian Dong sighed. At the same time, the arch of Zhai Sheng’s eyebrows moved.

  Zhai Sheng could tell that Tian Dong’s patience had not run out. If the matter was not pertaining to Zhai Hua, given Tian Dong’s character, even if he had spoken, he might not even be willing to go straight to the main topic after chatting the whole day.

  So as to speak, for Zhai Hua’s sake, Tian Dong broke the silence ahead and weakened his position?

  \r \r \r

  “What? You have been living in America for such a long time. Don’t tell me your judgment and thinking have never been influenced by capitalism?” Zhai Sheng spoke coldly.

  Tian Dong was not angry despite Zhai Sheng’s sarcasm. That was because he knew that the man who was speaking to him now was his future brother-in-law. He could not offend him. “You don’t need to test me. I came back specially to marry Zhai Hua.”

  He only had one objective: Zhai Hua.

  As for the Zhai family’s opinion of him, he could only say that the Zhai family’s status and position made them too sensitive. They were suffering from paranoia!

  Zhai Sheng sneered. “Will you be able to marry just by talking? Let’s not talk about whether Zhai Hua is willing to marry you. If your relationship with Zhai Hua is successful, do you know what kind of choice you will have to make?”

  There was a flash in Tian Dong’s eyes. “I know. After I came back this time, I don’t intend to leave.” This was where the Tian family came from. Naturally, they had to move back to China.

  Upon hearing the Tian family’s decision, unfortunately, Zhai Sheng did not buy that. “It’s not strange to come back either. The country is progressing better than overseas now.”

  Facing the nitpicking by Zhai Sheng, Tian Dong’s expression changed slightly but he still endured it. “I won’t leave the country again. You are in the capital now as well. If you let Zhai Hua marry me, you have nothing to worry about.” If Zhai Hua were to suffer any grievance at the Tian family, the Zhai family would definitely receive first-hand news at the slightest ruffle in the wind. They would then run to the Tian family to settle scores with him.

  Furthermore, why would he let Zhai Hua down since he had decided to marry her?

  Zhai Sheng was putting on airs now. He completely displayed the style of a ruffian soldier. He refused to admit that he had received a benefit. “I don’t believe that revenge is a dish best served cold. My usual style is to simply nip the bud of the fire as soon as I see a flame appearing.” Was it meaningful to go knocking on the door when one had already been bullied? Would the fact of Zhai Hua being bullied change?

  Tian Dong’s eyes turned a little gloomy. The corners of his lips pursed. “If you’re really so capable, why did Wei De exist?”

  Zhai Sheng smirked. “That is our family’s business. Wei De alone is not to be blamed for this. Zhai Hua is not smart enough.” Zhai Sheng was not willing to say that Zhai Hua was stupid in front of Tian Dong.

  They were biological siblings. If he really said that Zhai Hua was stupid, then what was he considered as?

  Zhai Sheng would not make this kind of low-grade mistake.

  “Zhai Hua is considered smart. However, she lacked a little experience in this area.” The lady that he fancied had been mocked by others. Tian Dong was quite unhappy, although the person who mocked her was her only biological younger brother.

  Zhai Sheng’s heart wavered slightly. However, his expression did not reveal this at all. “Yes, in this aspect, she not only lacked a little experience, but she was also completely inexperienced. No choice. As her younger brother, I have to worry more and help her assess more accurately. Tian Dong, do you think you can pass this test?”

  “Why not?” Tian Dong questioned back.

  He wished to marry the only lady in the Zhai family. Of course, Tian Dong was long prepared that the Zhai family would make things difficult for him.

  He did not expect that Zhai Sheng, and not Old Master Zhai or Chief Zhai, would be the first one to make things difficult for him. He was Zhai Hua’s younger brother but they did not seem that close when they were children.

  Although the person who made things difficult for him was different from whom he had thought, Tian Dong did not feel that he needed to change anything about himself. He would perform accordingly.

  Zhai Sheng relaxed his brows and glanced sideways at Tian Dong. “I heard that Wei De had been given a beating. He is in quite dire straits?”

  Zhai Sheng heard of Wei De chasing Zhai Hua to the capital.

  When he was in Ping Cheng previously, it was not convenient for him to do anything overboard to Wei De for the sake of the Zhai family’s reputation.

  Now, they were in the capital. No one knew who Wei De was. No matter how much he wanted to deal with Wei De, he was not as restricted as to when he was in Ping Cheng.

  However, before Zhai Sheng could take any action, Wei De was already almost handicapped. When Zhai Sheng received this news, all the plans he had in mind fell through and turned useless.

  There was only one explanation as to why Zhai Sheng would discuss this topic with Tian Dong. He suspected that the people who bashed Wei De up were related to Tian Dong.

  “Whether he is really that miserable will depend on whether he continues to stay in the capital.” Tian Dong was not satisfied with this outcome at all.

  If murder was not illegal, Tian Dong knew that he would not just get a few people to deal with Wei De. That would be too easy on him.

  Since he could not kill anyone, Tian Dong could only think of ways to teach Wei De a lesson. He hoped that Wei De would leave the capital, this land of ‘trouble’, as soon as possible due to fear.

  Without Zhai Hua by his side and the backing of the Zhai family’s reputation, Wei De’s company could not continue with its business at all.

  Wei De spent a long time building his wealth. He then spent the shortest time reverting to his previous state of being penniless.

  Wei De had been extremely generous to people in his hometown, especially after he became a boss and made it rich.

  1133 Heartless

  Wei De had not only built a new house in his hometown but also often gave his parents money. Otherwise, given the miserable state that Wei De was in, it was already a problem for him to remain in Ping Cheng, so how could he have followed the Zhai family to the capital?

  The money that Wei De was spending now was all those that he had given to his parents earlier. He took back all the money that he had given.

  Of course, at such a stage, the relationship between Wei De and Zhai Hua could not be covered up anymore.

  In the beginning, Wei De was not willing to talk about it. He requested money from his family and told them that he needed money to relieve his cash flow issues, that his hands were tight as he ran into some inconveniences in his business recently.

  At that time, Wei De’s mother scolded him very angrily. “Didn’t you say that the chief’s daughter knows many people? Other people are daughters-in-law. She is also a daughter-in-law. Why is she such a failure? If you encounter any problems in your business, shouldn’t she get her maternal family to help you? If you are short of money, you can get it from your wife. If she doesn’t have money, many people will be willing to lend her as long as she opens her mouth to ask for it, no? If she is petty to you and refuses to borrow money, you can also use her name to borrow money from her friends since you also know them. Son, don’t be so rigid. You have to know how to adapt to different situations.”

  Would Wei De not think of these means that his mother was teaching him?

  If Zhai Hua did not break up with him…… If no one knew that he had fallen out with Zhai Hua……

  His mother did not need to teach him. Wei De would have daringly used Zhai Hua’s name to borrow money long ago. He would borrow as much money as he wished to without any hesitation, let alone getting others to help him in his business.

  Since he was borrowing money for the business on the account of Zhai Hua’s face, Zhai Hua would have to repay the gratitude in the future.

  As for the money earned, that would be Wei De’s credit alone. It did not have anything to do with Zhai Hua.

  Wei De had such guts and brains. The problem was that most of the prominent people in Ping Cheng had already heard of him breaking up with Zhai Hua.

  Wei De was shameless to refuse to admit that he had broken up with Zhai Hua. However, others might not be willing to play dumb with Wei De. Without the ‘care’ from the Zhai family, they were not willing to give Wei De so much convenience.

  \r \r \r

  In short, after Zhai Hua left him, Wei De faced many obstructions in Ping Cheng.

  Since the money had gone into the pocket of Wei De’s mother, it belonged to her.

  The mother-son pair’s character of ‘only in but not out’ was very similar.

  With Zhai Hua, this ‘daughter-in-law’, around, Mother Wei was not willing to fork out the family’s money. She wanted Wei De to look for Zhai Hua if he were to face any problems. As the daughter-in-law of the Wei family, Zhai Hua should and had to do something for the Wei family.

  Knowing his biological mother’s character and also after being given so many cold shoulders, Wei De could not endure it any longer. He told his mother about the situation, angering the latter badly. “Oh, my goodness. There is such a woman in the world. She is too shameless. She dated with you for so long and her reputation has already been damaged. If she has some shame, she will only marry you. If this was in the past, you could sue her for being a rogue. Are all the chiefs’ daughters so shameless?”

  To Wei De’s mother, Zhai Hua and her son had been dating for a long time. As such, Zhai Hua was already her son’s woman and she was not qualified to be with others.

  She did not expect that Zhai Hua would break up so decisively without any feelings of reluctance before the two even got married. She even left her son such that he had to endure hardships in Ping Cheng. She was simply a scum amongst women.

  “She is so shameless. The Zhai family did not react? Does the Zhai family like to trample on their own faces?” Zhai Hua’s reputation had already been ruined. Shouldn’t the Zhai family think of ways to marry Zhai Hua to Wei De as soon as possible? Would they still agree to let Zhai Hua break up with her son?

  Wei De was very disheartened. “Mom, your way of thinking is too backward. It is not common in the current society anymore. Zhai Hua and I…… We have been together for a long time but Zhai Hua is still not my woman. Even if she is really mine, most likely, the Zhai family will not mind either. There are also many cases of divorce nowadays. If I don’t find ways to make Zhai Hua turn back her heart, I won’t have anything to do with Zhai Hua anymore. I also won’t be associated with the Zhai family anymore in the future.”

  At the mention of this situation, Wei De’s voice turned hoarse. His tone carried a deep gust of grief. “Mom, you know the current society too. It’s not easy to survive. When I was in the army, no one looked up to me. I was still a junior soldier after so many years in the army. After some time, the army will definitely make me retire. Now, I wish to do business. It is not enough to have money. I need to have connections too. Furthermore, I don’t even have any money now. Mom, it’s difficult to survive. It’s even more difficult to survive well.”

  What wrong did he do?

  He just wanted to have a better life. He did not want to have a life without any accomplishment. He wanted his own career. In that case, when his children grew up and mentioned their father, they could proudly introduce him to their friends.

  Yes, he had organized a banquet and married a wife in his hometown but they had not collected the wedding certificate. As such, their marriage was not considered legal.

  From the perspective of the law, if he were to marry Zhai Hua, it would be his first marriage.

  Besides this, his only demerit was having Wei Wei, this son.

  Having a son to carry the family’s name had always been the traditional thinking of Chinese.

  Wei Wei was a son. Given his age, Wei De felt that he deserved to have a child even if it was a daughter.

  If the wife in his hometown did not exist, at his age, would Zhai Hua be able to give him a child?

  She could not!

  Zhai Hua could not do that. He had already thought of a solution to this difficult problem. He did not make things difficult for Zhai Hua because of this matter.

  It was fine that other people did not understand his pain and good intent. Who would have expected Zhai Hua to be so willful? She did not understand his feelings for her at all.

  With Wei Wei, at the very least, the Wei family would not pressurize Zhai Hua anymore regardless of how the Zhai family made things difficult for him or how late Zhai Hua married him. The Wei family would not ask Zhai Hua to bear him a son as soon as possible.

  Wei Wei’s existence was a little awkward for Zhai Hua.

  However, if Zhai Hua could think from another perspective, she had something to gain from Wei Wei’s existence too.

  If Zhai Hua was really worried that he would pay less attention to or did not love their children enough, at most, he would send Wei Wei back to his hometown again. His parents could take care of Wei Wei then.

  In this way, he would be able to focus wholeheartedly on Zhai Hua and his children, no?

  Clearly, it was a problem that was quite easy to resolve. However, he did not understand why Zhai Hua had to make a mountain out of a molehill.

  Could it be that his many years of relationship with Zhai Hua could not be compared to the uneasiness that Zhai Hua felt toward Wei Wei’s existence?

  Zhai Hua was too selfish.

  He had given up the wife at home and also Wei Wei. He did not want anything except Zhai Hua, yet Zhai Hua still abandoned him heartlessly.

  1134 Like a Nightmare

  Zhai Hua had let down their relationship badly!

  “Ah Wei, don’t cry. Mom feels extremely upset when seeing you cry. Do you want to be with Zhai Hua very badly?” When her son’s voice changed, Wei De’s mother could not bring herself to be harsh. “If you still wish to be together with that woman, I will support you even though I dislike her. I did not use the money that you gave to me previously at all. I saved them. Tomorrow morning, I will get your dad to make a trip to the city to transfer all the money to you. Don’t be anxious. A stubborn woman would eventually succumb to a persistent man. You succeeded in the past. You will definitely be able to do so now.”

  She did not really believe that the world had changed so quickly.

  Zhai Hua was a ‘second-hand good’ who had dated another man for a few years. Would someone be willing to take over?

  Certainly, Zhai Hua was not Ah De’s woman yet. However, how many people would believe these words?

  When the time came whereby no one wanted to be with Zhai Hua, she would wait and see if those people in the Zhai family could still be so persistent. She did not believe that they would rather let Zhai Hua be left on the shelves instead of letting Ah De marry Zhai Hua.

  Once Zhai Hua entered the Wei family, she would take her time settling scores with Zhai Hua the same way that Zhai Hua made things difficult for Ah De.

  Wei De’s mother disliked and looked down badly on Zhai Hua, this daughter-in-law. She was determined to have her way.

  “Mom, don’t worry. I won’t give up so easily.” If he were to have a clean break with Zhai Hua and watch another man marry her, his entire life would be over.

  He could not return to the army and he could not continue in his business either. Wei De had given much thought to his life. He had always known that after leaving Zhai Hua, he only had two options, which was to return to his hometown to be a farmer or to remain in Ping Cheng to do manual jobs.

  Even if he could not become an army officer or a boss, Wei De also did not wish to become a coolie.

  He did not wish to bow his head to destiny. He had to continue to target Zhai Hua, make Zhai Hua agree to be with him again, and marry him.

  Wei De heard that the entire Zhai family had moved to the capital because Zhai Yaohui had been deployed to the capital.

  Wei De was both happy and anxious.

  He was happy that the status of the Zhai family was higher now that Zhai Yaohui had been deployed to the capital.

  \r \r \r

  Naturally, the better the situation of the Zhai family, he would receive more help after he became the son-in-law of the family.

  He was anxious and on fire because the qualities of the Zhai family was too good. Yes, Zhai Hua was not young anymore. She was not gentle and also a tomboy. In addition, she had dated a man for a few years.

  Although he heard his mother shun Zhai Hua so much over the phone, Wei De was well aware that given the qualities of the Zhai family, many people were willing to be their son-in-law. This was despite the fact that Zhai Hua had broken up decisively with someone after one romantic relationship. Even if Zhai Hua was married and divorced, people would still be willing to marry and protect her like she was a precious gem and treasure.

  If he was late in going to Beijing to woo Zhai Hua, perhaps this woman who should have been his wife would really become another man’s wife tomorrow.

  Once he received the money that his family had sent him, with a strong desire to succeed, Wei De took the train to the capital without further consideration.

  After he arrived in the capital, Wei De could not get used to many things there. His heart ached so much that he wanted to return to Ping Cheng.

  He did not expect that the cost of living in the capital was so high.

  He could not bear to pay the price of staying in the hotel even for one night.

  This was going to be a long battle. He only rented an inn with a space that was only enough for him to turn his body, but the rent was already shockingly expensive. The same commodity in Ping Cheng was also more expensive in the capital. He was burning banknotes with every meal that he took outside.

  Initially, Wei De still believed that he would certainly be able to woo Zhai Hua back before he finished spending the sum of money given to him by his mother.

  Now, Wei De was not so confident.

  In the past, Zhai Hua was so easy to appease. Zhai Hua would be so happy when Wei De gave her gifts that cost only a few yuan.

  This time, Wei De dared not woo Zhai Hua with such perfunctory means. He was thinking of giving her some flowers or accessories.

  When he found out more, he realized that he could not afford them.

  Any gift that he had his eyes on simply cost more than one month of this rent.

  One month of his rent would be gone after buying a few bouquets of flowers.

  Not to mention that Wei De was also a living being. He had to eat and drink. When miscellaneous added up, Wei De’s expenditure alone was not small. He had no jobs either. There were only expenses and no earnings.

  Despite having been a big boss before, Wei De had to count his pennies and tighten his belt when he arrived in the capital.

  Wei De felt that he was miserable enough to be in such dire straits. To his surprise, he saw with his own eyes that Zhai Hua really dated some messy and wild man outside despite having just broken up with him. She was being unfaithful. A few days later, he was covered by a gunny sack and beaten up harshly.

  Wei De had been a soldier. As such, he was also good at fighting.

  However, he was outnumbered by fighting experts. Otherwise, Wei De would not be in such a miserable state.

  When he was being beaten up, Wei De cleverly curled and shrank his body to cover up all his important body parts.

  Fortunately, the other party only intended to teach him a lesson. They targeted the body parts which would cause him pain but avoided all the important body organs. The other party did not intend to take his life.

  After the beating, Wei De was discovered and sent to the hospital by a passerby. He lay in the hospital for two days.

  When he was in the hospital, Wei De was in great physical pain. When the doctor said that he was fine and could be discharged, Wei De felt his heart ache as soon as they calculated his medical fees.

  The money that he could use to live in his hometown for a year was gone within a month in the capital!

  Looking at the money in his pocket, which was getting less and less, and failing to talk to Zhai Hua, Wei De was dealt a great blow. He was in utter despair.

  He did not manage to make Zhai Hua come back to him in Ping Cheng. Now, it was even more difficult to woo Zhai Hua back in the capital.

  Looking at the prosperous capital, Wei De felt very bleak in his heart. He kept feeling that his life should not be like that.

  Clearly, he had covered up many things well. Zhai Hua had never suspected him after being with him for so long. The people in the hometown had never betrayed him either.

  According to his plan, Zhai Hua would definitely not know that he had organized a banquet and married a wife in his hometown before. She would not find out the truth that Wei Wei was, in fact, his son and not his nephew.

  As such, as long as Zhai Hua’s heart was with him, the Zhai family would eventually agree to let him marry Zhai Hua regardless of whether they liked him.

  After he became the Zhai family’s son-in-law, his progress in the army would definitely become better and better. Gradually, he would become a senior officer in the army.

  Everyone in the hometown would feel proud of him. He would also raise Wei Wei and be husband and wife with Zhai Hua for life. He was destined to take an extraordinary path. He should be from the upper social class!

  Why was there such a huge gap between reality and his ambition?

  Why did he feel that his imagination should be the reality and everything that he was facing now was like a nightmare?

  1135 Can You Help Me?

  Wei De wrecked his brains but he could not figure out when and what happened exactly that caused everything to go off the original track.

  Wei De, who could not find the answer, was slouching badly. Looking at his back view, he seemed to be fifty years old although he was just thirty.

  He did not get to meet Zhai Hua and he had injuries all over his body. He did not have money either. Could he persist? Would the day of his victory arrive? Would a day come whereby everything that he had previously dreamed for came true?

  Facing so many problems, Wei De could not give himself a definite answer.

  Zhai Hua did not even know about Wei De’s encounter. She only knew that after she listened to Zhai Sheng’s words and left that day, Tian Dong came to her house to ask her out for a movie and meal again the following day.

  It was also from that time onward that Wei De disappeared in the same and sudden way that he appeared.

  After confirming that Wei De did not appear again, Zhai Hua could completely let the matter go. She naively thought that Wei De should face reality even if he could not sort out his thoughts. He had given up on those ludicrous plans in his mind and returned to Ping Cheng or his hometown to lead an honest life with his foster sister. After all, they had to raise Wei Wei, this son.

  When he was in Ping Cheng, given Wei De’s behavior, he had wanted to nurture his own son into an elite.

  Now, Wei De could not rely on the Zhai family anymore. He should devote his entire heart on raising Wei Wei, this child.

  When Wei Wei was successful, Wei De would enjoy happiness sooner or later.

  “Tian Dong, you keep coming to our house. What do you mean by this?” She had put aside Wei De’s matter but Tian Dong’s appearance gave her a headache. She was thinking. Why was Tian Dong not done yet?

  “Didn’t you address me as Dongzi last time?” Tian Dong did not give a direct answer.

  Zhai Hua rolled her eyes. “When I am in a good mood, I’ll call you Dongzi. Now, I am not happy, so I will call you Tian Dong as I wished. Also, don’t divert from the topic. What are you trying to do? Let me tell you. You are a man and I am a woman. We are already of this age. I am serious about finding a marriage partner. If you don’t wish to get married, don’t treat me like a shield. If it doesn’t work, you can find another one. Your family is so wealthy. It’s not difficult for you to find someone to put up an act with you.”

  \r \r \r

  Basically, he should stop wasting her precious time that could have been allocated to getting married and having a child. He was to be blamed that she had not attended any other blind dates, besides him, for two months since she arrived in the capital.

  “We are of the same age. I am also very serious about finding a marriage partner who I can marry and have a child with. You’re not my shield. Since everyone has the same thoughts, isn’t it just nice? We can implement it together.” Tian Dong’s face was very fair. Only his pair of jet-black eyes was shockingly black.

  “Are…… are you serious? What has it got to do with me?” Zhai Hua said uneasily. She even turned her face away to avoid that strange look in Tian Dong’s eyes.

  Tian Dong smiled. He was not anxious to force Zhai Hua. If Zhai Hua had not just said that she wanted to draw a clear line, Tian Dong would not have expressed anything.

  Zhai Hua had a very impatient character. Sometimes, she would do the opposite if one were to corner her too much.

  Tian Dong had a lot of patience to dawdle with Zhai Hua.

  When Zhai Hua was really anxious and could not afford to dawdle anymore, it was even more convenient. She could simply agree to marry him directly.

  Of course, if Zhai Hua had some thoughts, Tian Dong would have to speed up his leisurely pace. He had to add on a few more firewood to the warm water that he was boiling the frog in so that the water would boil.

  Zhai Hua felt that Tian Dong was acting strangely. Hence, she did not want to chat with him anymore.

  Old Master Zhai had probably done something recently. In the past, she used to be as busy as Zhai Sheng. She was always in the army during the four seasons of the year. However, now, she had been ordered by her superiors to rest, nourish her health, and settle her lifetime happiness at the same time.

  She felt really bored staying at home. She also felt awkward shopping with Tian Dong. She had no choice. Zhai Hua simply brought Tian Dong along to find Qiao Nan.

  She was thinking that if Qiao Nan was around, she would not be alone with Tian Dong. She would not feel so uncomfortable then.

  Today was the weekend. The class schedule for this semester was the same as the previous one. Qiao Nan was lucky that her classes were all scheduled on the weekdays. She could continue to be the volunteer guide during the two days on the weekends.

  After knowing that Qiao Nan was involved in such activities, Zhai Hua had wanted to come and take a look. It was a good chance today.

  Initially, everything was fine. Zhai Hua was enraged the moment she arrived. “Hello, who are you? Quickly let go of your hand.”

  Just as she arrived at the entrance of the Palace Museum, Zhai Hua saw with her own eyes a young lady and Qiao Nan were engaged in a tug war.

  Qiao Nan looked very unhappy and even requested the other party to let go of her hands. However, the other party refused to do so. The two had unfriendly expressions on their faces and looked like they were in an argument.

  Qiao Nan was her sister-in-law. Without a word, Zhai Hua’s sixth sense told her that the young lady was insensible and bullying Qiao Nan, who was an honest and down-to-earth person.

  When Yu Xiaoxiao heard the yell, she loosened her grip on Qiao Nan’s hands immediately, looking very guilty.

  As Yu Xiaoxiao let go of her too suddenly, and since Qiao Nan was not in good spirits today initially, Qiao Nan lost her footing. Under the forces of inertia, Qiao Nan staggered and her whole body fell backward. Yu Xiaoxiao turned pale with fright.

  She only wanted Qiao Nan’s help. She did not want to harm Qiao Nan. If Qiao Nan really had a fall, the more she would not receive Qiao Nan’s help.

  Fortunately, Zhai Hua was very agile. She held on to Qiao Nan swiftly. “Who is she? Is she bullying you? Don’t be so good-tempered in the future. If someone bullies you, just shout for help. Young ladies nowadays are so ‘capable’. They can go overboard in broad daylight in front of so many people. Where is the quality?”

  If she had not come over to take a look, Qiao Nan definitely would have fallen, and it would be a very bad fall.

  “Young lady, why are you behaving in this way?!” The people in the management office heard a commotion and came out to take a look. When the other party saw Yu Xiaoxiao and Qiao Nan, he was angered. “I have already told you very clearly that I am not lacking in any manpower at the moment. Even if we are, you do not qualify.”

  At first, when he heard that the other party was Qiao Nan’s classmate and a student of Peking University, he felt quite happy.

  It was all volunteer work and thus, the more the merrier. They gave similar treatment and tested the English speaking ability of this classmate.

  Six months ago, Qiao Nan performed so well in the test although she had just arrived in the capital. Although this was also a student of the foreign language faculty in Peking University, to his surprise, this young lady could not speak English well.

  There were no examinations here. They did not need writing but speech ability.

  They had given her a chance but she was not suitable. Of course, they could not let her stay. Who would have known that it was not over yet?

  “I, I……” Yu Xiaoxiao’s face swelled in red. She was in tears and obviously feeling very awkward and embarrassed. However, she really did not wish to give up. She had used half a semester to find out why Qiao Nan had attained such high scores in social practice.

  1136 Feeling Unwell

  After finding out how Qiao Nan did it, she also wanted to work hard and give it a try. She did not expect that it would be so difficult.

  Since Yu Xiaoxiao was able to get the scholarship, her results must be fairly good as well.

  The problem was all the English lessons in school were assessment-based. It did not require one to be fluent in English. But if she had to converse in English, she would not be able to.

  As a volunteer guide who showed foreign guests around, one needed to be fluent in English. It had nothing to do with one’s English writing skills.

  Furthermore, in the nine years of compulsory education, three years of high school, and more than half a year of university life, there was no need for Yu Xiaoxiao to converse in English.

  Yu Xiaoxiao was too tense and nervous and did badly in her test. She performed worse than her usual standard in high school.

  One could only be selected through one’s ability. Given Yu Xiaoxiao’s performance, they could not accept her and told her nicely that she could try out at other places.

  Yu Xiaoxiao followed Qiao Nan and found out about her social practice as a volunteer guide at the Palace Museum. If she knew where to find social practice activities that she could participate in, there was no need for her to ask for Qiao Nan’s help.

  Therefore, Yu Xiaoxiao did not want to give up right then. She hoped the other party would give her another chance.

  In the end, she came looking for Qiao Nan, hoping that Qiao Nan would put in a good word for her, giving her another chance. She was too nervous and therefore did not perform well previously.

  Qiao Nan did not feel very well and she did not get along with Yu Xiaoxiao.

  When Yu Xiaoxiao came looking for her, she could tell that she had not given up yet and had found ways to follow her all the way here.

  For that alone, Qiao Nan had the right to be angry with Yu Xiaoxiao.

  Qiao Nan was already very gracious for not taking issue with Yu Xiaoxiao. There was no way that she would put in a good word for her.

  \r \r \r

  That was why they ended up in a tussle when Zhai Hua reached the Palace Museum.

  “This classmate over here, you’d better go back. You are not suitable for this job. You are from Peking University. You should be able to tell that we are very busy now. I believe you don’t want things to turn sour or for me to make a call to your school, right?”

  The personnel at the office turned serious. It was nothing embarrassing that the student could not help them as she did not have the ability.

  However, if she continued to make a din, it would not look good on them and would affect their work.

  Things would turn awkward if the volunteer ended up as a troublemaker.

  “No, I don’t mean that. I harbor no evil intentions. I just feel that this job is very meaningful and I want to help out in my own way. If not, can I be a general Chinese volunteer guide?” A thought came to Yu Xiaoxiao’s mind. She might not be fluent in English, but she was fluent in Chinese.

  The other party was amused. “Everyone knows how to speak Mandarin. Even if this job is voluntary, it has high requirements. Firstly, you have to know everything about the Palace Museum. You have to memorize all the facts by heart. Secondly, if you want to be a Chinese guide, can your Mandarin meet the standard?”

  It was true that as compared to speaking fluent English, the Chinese people would be more fluent in Chinese.

  However, they would have higher requirements for Chinese volunteer guides.

  The office did not have high requirements for Qiao Nan. They only asked that she be fluent in her English and that she must have no problem in normal conversation.

  As for whether she used proper grammar and vocabulary, they could not judge as well since they themselves were not native English speakers. It was alright as long as the foreign visitors could understand Qiao Nan.

  Of course, Qiao Nan became more and more fluent in conversing in English after multiple training sessions. It was a surprise to them to receive positive feedback from foreign visitors.

  Yu Xiaoxiao was smart. She knew that since she could not be an English volunteer guide, she could be a Chinese guide.

  But at the same time, she was foolish. Every citizen in China knew how to speak Mandarin.

  Qiao Nan and Yu Xiaoxiao were not the only students who came to the Palace Museum to be volunteer guides. For people applying to be the Chinese volunteer guide, the competition was harsh since there were many applicants. The office would have a set of stringent requirements.

  In short, Yu Xiaoxiao could not make it for the English volunteer guide, and she failed to meet the requirements for the Chinese guide as well.

  The reason was that they required the Chinese guides to speak standard Chinese, especially in the Beijing accent.

  People from other provinces would not be able to speak as well as people from Beijing.

  What a joke!

  Yu Xiaoxiao almost teared up at the other party’s words.

  Yu Xiaoxiao was not fluent in English. As for Mandarin, she had no problem in conversing, but she was not certain how she would rank if she sat for a test. After all, she had never gone through a test on conversational Chinese.

  Yu Xiaoxiao sniffed. She bowed to the personnel from the office. “I am really sorry. I have not gotten the facts right and have brought so much trouble for you. But if I am able to meet the mark to be an English or Chinese guide, will I be given a chance if I come again in the second half of the year?”

  Yu Xiaoxiao did not continue to make a din. She calmed down and made a rational decision. It was a marked contrast to her previous behavior, and it was a more acceptable behavior of a student.

  The personnel from the office paused momentarily at the change and nodded. “Sure. As long as you can meet the requirements, we will welcome youngsters like you.”

  Although they were volunteer guides, they still needed to fulfill some requirements.

  Once the volunteers fulfilled the requirements, they were willing to take in as many volunteers as possible.

  Yu Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief at the reply.

  She was only in her first year. There were three more years before she would graduate. No matter what, she had to strive to get a scholarship for her second and third years. She still had time to work on her English. She still had a total of four months, including two months of summer break to improve her English and Mandarin conversational skills.

  Yu Xiaoxiao calmed down after sorting out her thoughts. “Qiao Nan, I am really sorry. I have disturbed you and created so much trouble for you. I am sorry and thank you.”

  She followed Qiao Nan to find out about this opportunity.

  It was indeed dishonorable of her, but she did not feel that she was in the wrong.

  It was Qiao Nan who did not render help to her classmates. In fact, Qiao Nan should have taken the initiative to help her after knowing about her situation.

  Since Qiao Nan refused to help her, she could not be blamed for following Qiao Nan all the way here.

  After making her apology, Yu Xiaoxiao no longer felt guilty or sorry.

  Yu Xiaoxiao walked away, thinking of ways to work on her weaknesses.

  Even though Yu Xiaoxiao had left, Qiao Nan still seemed to look unwell. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead. “Xiao Qiao, you seemed to be very pale. Are you unwell?”


  1137 It Had Been a Long Time Since She Had Menses

  “I know that you are responsible, but youngsters should take care of their health as well. Today’s work has been done. You can go back two hours earlier.” The personnel from the office could tell that Qiao Nan seemed unwell and in pain.

  They had known each other for more than half a year.

  However, the personnel from the office liked that Qiao Nan was hardworking and not talkative. Furthermore, she was from Peking University.

  Qiao Nan was welcomed by everyone at the Palace Museum. They treated Qiao Nan as their junior.

  Now that she seemed to be unwell, they were very concerned for Qiao Nan. “Are you related to Xiao Qiao?”

  “I am her relative.” Zhai Hua was about to say that she was Qiao Nan’s sister-in-law, but she remembered that Qiao Nan was still very young and it might be unsuitable to say that. She then changed her mind. “I am her sister.”

  “Okay, please send Xiao Qiao home. Xiao Qiao doesn’t look very well. In fact, you should send her to the hospital.” Xiao Qiao fell ill while she was working as a volunteer guide at the Palace Museum.

  If anything went wrong, they had to bear responsibility.

  “Don’t worry. I will.” Zhai Hua had the intention of doing that even before the personnel brought it up.

  She had known Qiao Nan since a long time ago. Like the Zhai family, Qiao Nan did not fall ill easily. She was very healthy.

  Before she married Zhai Sheng, Qiao Nan would not fall sick easily. She had only been married to Zhai Sheng for a few months and she was sick. Zhai Hua could not help but be worried.

  “Qiao Nan, are you unwell? Dongzi, Qiao Nan may not be able to walk a long distance. Drive the car over here. Let’s send her to the hospital.” Luckily, Dongzi was with her and he could help her send Qiao Nan to the hospital.

  Tian Dong and Zhai Hua supported Qiao Nan to find a seat. Tian Dong then left to drive the car.

  Qiao Nan breathed a sigh of relief after taking a seat. “There is no need to go to the hospital. There is nothing wrong with me. Perhaps I felt dizzy because Yu Xiaoxiao kept pestering me. Now that I’ve taken a breather, I feel much better.” She only felt a moment of discomfort.

  \r \r \r

  The weather had turned better. It was impossible for her to suffer from heatstroke.

  “Could it be that I am anemic?” Many women suffered from anemia. It was common for them to have dizzy spells.

  Zhai Hua thought otherwise. “You can’t make the diagnosis that you are anemic. Let’s go to the hospital to do a checkup. I trust the doctors. Don’t put up a strong front. I have known you for so long. You rarely looked so pale. You must see the doctor if you are unwell!”

  Zhai Hua held on to Qiao Nan, stopping her from moving about.

  Zhai Hua did not take the passenger seat. Instead, she sat at the back seat with Qiao Nan. She made Qiao Nan rest her head on her shoulder so that Qiao Nan could feel more comfortable.

  Qiao Nan sat up after a short while. “This won’t do. My stomach feels unsettled and I feel like throwing up in this position.”

  “Are you suffering from motion sickness?” Zhai Hua looked anxious. She was looking for a plastic bag for Qiao Nan. The car belonged to Tian Dong. It would not be good to dirty his car. Zhai Hua understood basic courtesy.

  Tian Dong did not really mind. Seeing that Zhai Hua was so worried about Qiao Nan, he made use of this chance to leave a good impression on Zhai Hua. “Don’t be anxious. It’s alright. Qiao Nan, if you are unwell, don’t hold it in. It doesn’t matter if you throw up in the car. At most, I will send it for washing.”

  True enough, Zhai Hua seemed to see Tian Dong in a different light after he said that. She seemed not as put off by him.

  “I am fine.” Qiao Nan looked pale, patting her chest. “I feel much better after I sit upright. Can we roll down the windows? It is very stuffy inside the car.”

  Zhai Hua had a reluctant smile. “You should know the air quality in the capital. If you roll down the windows, it would be terrible.”

  At Zhai Hua’s advice, Qiao Nan had no other choice but to give up on rolling down the windows.

  Qiao Nan knew that there was a serious haze in the capital!

  She had better not roll down the windows for her health’s sake.

  It was crowded at the hospital during the weekend. Some of the departments were still on break.

  Zhai Hua and Tian Dong helped Qiao Nan to the hospital. Zhai Hua accompanied Qiao Nan while Tian Dong dealt with the registrations.

  “Qiao Nan, I feel that something must be wrong with you. You seemed to be sapped of all strength. Are you running a fever?” Qiao Nan seemed very weak. Zhai Hua touched her forehead to check her temperature. She eased slightly after she checked that Qiao Nan was not running a fever.

  “I have no idea.” Qiao Nan shook her head. “You should know that as a woman, we have to go through a few……”

  Qiao Nan had yet to finish her sentence when she turned silent all of a sudden.

  Speaking of her menses, something dawned on Qiao Nan.

  Previously, she was worried sick after she ended up drunk and was intimate with Zhai Sheng for the first time. But thankfully, she had her menses after half a month.

  Thereafter, she held the wedding banquet with Zhai Sheng in January and moved into the Zhai family’s residence. They had a normal married life for several days before Zhai Sheng left for work.

  Then, Qiao Nan went back to school and worked hard to catch up on her studies. She tried hard to make up for all the time lost during the winter break when she had her wedding.

  There had been too many things going on that Qiao Nan forgot about something important. She had not had her menses for two consecutive months……

  “What’s wrong?” Seeing that Qiao Nan was silent, Zhai Hua probed.

  Qiao Nan blushed slightly. “Sister Zhai Hua, I don’t think there is anything wrong with me. There is no need to see the doctor. Can you accompany me to the supermarket?” She wondered if the supermarket or the pharmacy had pregnancy kits in this day and age.

  Qiao Nan felt awkward with Tian Dong around. It was alright if Zhai Hua was the only one with her.

  Qiao Nan felt that there was no need for her to go to other departments to do the checkup. She would know what was wrong with her if she went directly to the gynecology department.

  “No. Don’t be willful. I am here with you and you have to listen to me. If not, I will make a call home and my mom will ask the chauffeur to send her to the hospital and make sure that you see the doctor. She will only leave after she hears the doctor’s diagnosis.” Zhai Hua wanted to roll her eyes at Qiao Nan. It was true that no one was perfect. Qiao Nan, who was good in all aspects, behaved like a three-year-old kid who was afraid of seeing the doctor. Could it be that she was scared of taking injections?

  Qiao Nan could tell that Zhai Hua was determined and would not change her mind. She took a deep breath and leaned closer to whisper to her.

  Zhai Hua was dumbfounded. “Are you certain?”

  “If I am certain, I would not go to the hospital with you. But I have not had my menses for two months.” Qiao Nan felt a mixture of shock and surprise. Her hands could not help but tremble.

  1138 Which of Them Is ‘Sister-In-Law’?

  In this life, she had nutritious food and her constitution was good. Her menses were never late. Besides, she did not eat cold stuff and she did not suffer from menstrual pains.

  Other than being pregnant, Qiao Nan could not think of any reasons to explain the fact that she did not have her menses for two months.

  “Wait for me.” Zhai Hua trembled slightly. “I-I will make a registration for you. But no one will accompany you if I am gone.”

  “I am an adult. I don’t need company.” Qiao Nan did not know whether to laugh or be angry with her. “I promise I will not move about when you make the registration.”

  “Make sure that other people don’t crowd around you. This is the hospital. The children are insensible and they would run around. They might knock into people accidentally. You must stay clear of them.” Zhai Hua, who was careless, turned to be very meticulous after she learned that she might be an auntie soon.

  Qiao Nan relaxed. “Sure, I will protect myself.” It was no wonder that she had been feeling odd recently. She thought that she had caught a cold because of the change in weather.

  She had indeed missed her menses for two months. Qiao Nan placed her hands lightly on her tummy. She had a tender look in her eyes.

  The child came right after her marriage. She was finally going to be a mother.

  Qiao Nan turned teary from thinking of Zhai Sheng’s promise that they would only have one child. She would definitely give all her love to her child.

  Tian Dong came back after registration. “Qiao Nan, where is Zhai Hua?”

  “She went to register for another appointment.”

  “Do you know what is wrong with you?” Tian Dong had made an appointment for the respiratory department. He passed the appointment number to Qiao Nan. At times, it was difficult to ascertain the illness that one was suffering from. It was alright to make a few appointments.

  \r \r \r

  Qiao Nan smiled. “Sort of.”

  “Qiao Nan, I have registered for an appointment. There are a lot of people waiting in line.” Zhai Hua wiped her perspiration. She was feeling very anxious. She was worried that the doctor would knock off after attending to all the patients who were waiting in front of them.

  Zhai Hua was perplexed. Could it be that there were so many pregnant ladies and it would take so long to see a doctor?

  In fact, Zhai Hua did not know that it was considered lucky to have more than ten people waiting in line. At times, one came in the morning and could only see the doctor in the afternoon.

  “Which department did you register for?” Tian Dong knitted his brows. “Is it convenient to tell me?”

  “So what if I let you know? Will you be able to help us jump the queue?” Qiao Nan was unwell. She was worried that something might be wrong with her unborn nephew or niece.

  Tian Dong smiled. Zhai Hua was still as impatient as before. “If you don’t mind, I know of a doctor in the private hospital. If it is okay with you, you can go there to have a checkup. It should take a shorter time.” The private hospital was different from a public hospital.

  “Are you serious? Can we see the doctor right away? If not, let’s take it that I did not say anything.” Zhai Hua was elated, but then she calmed down the next instant.

  She knew that doctors at a private hospital had equally good skills.

  Although patients could not be reimbursed for going to the private hospital and the medical fees were higher, there were still many people who were willing to go to a private hospital as long as the doctors were skilled.

  “You can see a doctor right away. I will contact my friend now. But you have yet to tell me which department Qiao Nan should go to.” Tian Dong smiled. If they could not see a doctor right away, he would not make this suggestion and embarrass himself in front of Zhai Hua.

  Zhai Hua looked at Tian Dong in surprise. “Didn’t you just come back from overseas? Why is it that you have the means? Nevertheless, contact the doctor. Qiao Nan needs to see the gynecology doctor.”

  It was Tian Dong’s turn to be surprised.

  Qiao Nan had just turned twenty-one years old after the Lunar New Year. Tian Dong knew that this was the legal age to marry in China.

  He did not expect that as a Peking University student, Qiao Nan had such a strong determination. While her peers were still students, she had the courage to be a mother. This was a matter of courage and responsibility. “Okay, I will make the arrangement.”

  Tian Dong made the phone call and registered for an appointment.

  Tian Dong knew that Qiao Nan married Zhai Sheng not long ago. They had also collected the marriage certificate more than a month ago. Qiao Nan’s child was considered a legitimate child. Tian Dong made it clear to his friend that he had a friend who wanted to go for pregnancy tests and to make an appointment for them. They must not be kept waiting.

  The friend could not help but laugh at Tian Dong upon learning the tests that his friend wanted to be done. “Didn’t you just come back from overseas not long ago? And a lady is already pregnant with your child in such a short time? It seems that you are serious. Have you set your mind to be a dad?” If he did not want the child, he would not ask to go through the tests. After ascertaining that the lady was truly pregnant, they could arrange for the abortion surgery directly.

  “Stop kidding.” Tian Dong warned his friend. “The patient is the sister-in-law of my friend. You must make sure you do a good job later. Don’t be careless.”

  The other party stopped making fun of Tian Dong. “Your friend? Is your friend by the surname of Zhai?” The friend went for overseas study in America as well. His major was medicine. He was older than Tian Dong and was already in his thirties.

  As Tian Dong had a high IQ and learned fast, he was able to be in the same batch as him and had the chance to be acquainted with him. “Bring the patient here. We will talk later.”

  He had known Tian Dong for many years. While he was enjoying life in America, having flings with foreign women among all the Chinese overseas students, Tian Dong was the only person who seemed to be immune to temptations. He was able to behave gentlemanly and focused on his studies.

  He would never be able to do that.

  The foreigners were not averse to one-night stands. Both were willing parties and no one was forced into it.

  Foreign ladies had great figures and were open-minded and passionate. It was too good to be missed.

  Back when they had beers at the pubs, many beauties were interested to have a one-night stand with Tian Dong, but Tian Dong would always leave by himself. Those ladies who were rejected by Tian Dong ended up being with his friends who went to the pubs with him.

  It was only after a long while that he realized that Tian Dong was conservative and he already had someone in mind.

  Why Tian Dong was not involved in one-night stands and had strict discipline was all because of the Chinese woman that he had in mind.

  As they grew closer to Tian Dong, those friends who got along with him pried the information from him and knew that the lady that he had in mind had the surname of Zhai.

  It was rare that Tian Dong was willing to bring the lady to the hospital today. His friend who was a doctor knew that he finally had the chance to meet the legendary woman that Tian Dong was interested in.

  Tian Dong was very popular and attractive at school. The lady must be a great beauty with a good figure and gentle temperament to be able to capture Tian Dong’s heart and for him to behave himself overseas.

  The doctor imagined Zhai Hua to be a perfect lady. He fixed his gaze on Qiao Nan as soon as Tian Dong brought his friends with him to the hospital.

  1139 Congratulations on Your Pregnancy

  Beautiful. She was indeed beautiful. She had sparkling clear eyes. One glance and he could tell she was a well-bred and charismatic beauty.

  He had seen many beautiful women, but this was the first time that he saw someone who was so special that he could not disregard her. He loved her eyes from the moment he saw her.

  From his years of experience, she was not considered to be a voluptuous woman.

  But after he came back to China, he had seen many flat-chested women. The lady right in front of him had a slim waist and a curvaceous figure.

  The only problem was that the lady seemed to be pretty young.

  Could this be the reason why Dongzi did not bring up this lady to them in the past?

  This was a May-December romance. It was no wonder that Dongzi felt embarrassed to talk about it.

  Doctor Wei finally felt satisfied after sizing up Qiao Nan. He then turned to rest his gaze on Zhai Hua. “Hello, the doctor and the nurse are waiting for you. You can go for the pregnancy test with the help of the nurse.”

  Zhai Hua flushed red in anger, widening her eyes in fury. “What are you talking about? It is my sister-in-law who is taking the pregnancy test.” She was single. If news spread, she could not go for blind dates anymore. No one would want to get to know her.

  The doctor had bad judgment. He could not even tell who the pregnant lady was. Zhai Hua stared at Tian Dong unhappily. “You should know how precious Qiao Nan’s unborn child is. Are you sure this hospital is trustworthy? If anything happens, there is no need for me to do anything. Zhai Sheng will make sure that you pay for it.” If she had known it would be like this, she would have insisted on queuing. Perhaps it would already have been their turn.

  Tian Dong sighed. “Don’t be angry. Doctor Wei is just joking with you. Back in America, Doctor Wei is very humorous. Many girls like him. He did not get rid of his bad habits. Don’t take issue with him.”

  After putting in a good word for Doctor Wei, Tian Dong shot angry stares at him.

  \r \r \r

  If Zhai Hua was pregnant, he might not be able to stop himself from killing someone.

  “I-is your surname Zhai?” The doctor deduced from their conversation that he seemed to have recognized the wrong person.

  He thought that the lady that Tian Dong liked since a young age was a gentle and ladylike beauty. But the lady beside the sweet beauty was as tall as a man. She looked strong and athletic and her complexion was tanned.

  “Yes, Zhai is my surname. Is anything wrong?” Zhai Hua was extremely displeased with the look of shock on Doctor Wei’s face. “Alright, can we see the doctor now? I am in a hurry!”

  She wanted to know as soon as possible if she was going to be an auntie, but the doctor was taking his time!

  Next time, it would be better to go to the public hospital. The doctors at the private hospitals had the habit of chatting with his patients.

  “Sure.” Doctor Wei curled the corners of his lips. It was no wonder that Tian Dong had no interest in the overseas beauties. It turned out that he preferred those strong and athletic women. “Young girl, let me assist you.”

  Doctor Wei had no interest in Zhai Hua. He preferred women like Qiao Nan.

  “Young girl?!” Zhai Hua slapped Doctor Wei’s hands away from Qiao Nan. “Tian Dong, are you sure he is a doctor?” No matter how she looked at it, apart from the doctor’s white robe that he was wearing, he seemed like a ruffian who was lusting after women.

  If this doctor was to examine Qiao Nan, she would bring Qiao Nan home immediately.

  “Doctor Wei, has the patient who is here to take pregnancy tests arrived?” Without waiting for Tian Dong to tell Doctor Wei to keep a check on himself, the nurse came to look for the doctor. She seemed to be in a hurry.

  There were a lot of patients at the private hospital. Many of them were here to see the obstetricians. Of course, many were here for abortions as well.

  Many other patients were waiting for their turns. Since the nurses and doctors had been told to do a check for Qiao Nan first, they were anxious as they had been waiting for some time.

  “Hello, I am here to do pregnancy tests.” Qiao Nan felt that everything seemed to be in disorder today.

  Particularly when she discovered by accident that she might be pregnant and was going to be a mother.

  “How are you, nurse? We are here for the tests.” Zhai Hua disregarded Tian Dong and Doctor Wei. She supported Qiao Nan as she walked toward the nurse. The nurse might be in a hurry, but as the auntie, she was even more anxious.

  “Okay, come with me right now.” The nurse was glad that the patient was here. She did not lose her patience as the lady was recommended by Doctor Wei.

  Apart from Qiao Nan and Zhai Hua who had not been to the hospital, everyone at the hospital knew that the Wei family was one of the stakeholders of the private hospital. Doctor Wei could be considered as one of the bosses.

  Since the friend of the boss was here to do a pregnancy test, even if they had to waste time waiting for the patient, they still had to do it without losing their temper. They did not wish to lose their jobs.

  The obstetrician was a female doctor with a good complexion, looking to be in her forties. After asking about Qiao Nan’s condition, she was quite certain that Qiao Nan was pregnant. “Do you want to keep the baby?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes, of course!” Compared to Qiao Nan who was calm, Zhai Hua seemed to be very agitated.

  The female doctor did not mind at all. She was glad that they wanted to keep the child. “Pregnant ladies have to control their emotions. Fluctuations in mood will not be good for the baby. People who take care of the pregnant ladies have to be extra careful as well. Don’t scream or shout. This is not good for prenatal education and will affect the health of the mother and the baby. If you have decided on keeping the baby, let’s do an ultrasound scan for a detailed check.”

  Since Doctor Wei arranged for them to skip the queue, Tian Dong had already paid for all the tests that would be done. Zhai Hua only needed to collect the receipts and help Qiao Nan around to do the tests.

  “The baby is ten weeks old.” The female doctor looked at all the reports and was surprised. “It has been more than two months. You only found out about it now?”

  “Yes, I have been too busy recently. I didn’t notice that I did not have menses.” Qiao Nan was embarrassed.

  The female doctor did not seem displeased. “It’s alright. You seem to be quite young. This is your first time as a mother. You do not have any experience, so it is normal to be clueless. You are in good health. After all, you are young and have a good constitution. But you have been too tired recently. Pregnant ladies should have more rest. I will not prescribe any medicine for you. It is better to take more tonics. It may be good to have some tonics, but don’t overdo it. If the baby is too big, it will be very challenging for the mother when she goes into labor.”

  Perhaps it was due to Doctor Wei, not only did the female doctor give Qiao Nan a lot of advice on what to do and take note, but she also gave her some brochures for her to read up on.

  After seeing the doctor, Zhai Hua assisted Qiao Nan to leave the room. There was a baffled look on her face.

  Tian Dong waited patiently outside the room. He walked toward them when he saw them. “Are you pregnant?”


  1140 Have More Tonics

  Zhai Hua’s face seemed to be distorted. She wanted to smile but she was too nervous and emotional to smile. “Yes, she is pregnant!” She was going to be an auntie!

  There was a look of envy in Tian Dong’s eyes. Zhai Sheng was so much younger than Zhai Hua and him, but he was going to be a father. As for him……

  Looking at Zhai Hua who was still overjoyed over Zhai Sheng’s and Qiao Nan’s child, Tian Dong sighed. He felt that much still remained to be done.

  Miao Jing heard the sounds outside the house and looked up, breaking into a smile. “Hey, what brings the three of you here?” Hua Hua went out on a date with Dongzi. Could it be that they had a date at the place where Nan Nan had her social practice?

  Miao Jing had no idea that her guess was spot on today.

  “Nan Nan, are you feeling unwell?” Miao Jing looked concerned the next instant. She noticed that Zhai Hua lent her support to Qiao Nan as she walked into the house. She had a big shock and was worried. “What’s wrong? Where do you feel uncomfortable? Let’s go to the hospital right away.” Why would she fall sick for no reason?

  Zhai Hua took her time to help Qiao Nan take a seat. Once she sat down on the sofa, she shouted at the top of her lungs. “Auntie, please bring a cup of……” Zhai Hua was reminded of the female doctor’s words. She quickly lowered her voice. “Auntie, please bring a cup of warm water and a plate of fruits for Qiao Nan. Remember. The fruits have to be fresh. In the future, Qiao Nan will have all the fresh fruits and ingredients at home. I can have the rest that are not as fresh.”

  Qiao Nan was pregnant. She had to eat more nutritious food. Even if she did not have good food, she must at least have it fresh and clean!

  “Alright.” The auntie nodded. She prepared a plate of fruits for Qiao Nan according to Zhai Hua’s instructions.

  Everyone did not know of Qiao Nan’s condition, except for the auntie.

  The auntie was responsible for throwing the rubbish at home.

  There were only a few women in the Zhai family.

  \r \r \r

  The auntie noticed that Qiao Nan did not seem to have bought sanitary pads or used them in the past two months.

  The auntie had children of her own. She knew that a woman must have been pregnant in this condition.

  “Nan Nan, have some water.” Zhai Hua waited on Qiao Nan. Miao Jing did not notice that anything was amiss. “Nan Nan, where do you feel unwell?”

  Zhai Hua jumped up and pursed the corners of her lips. She took out an ultrasound picture from the bag. “Mom, let me show you something!”

  “What is this?” Miao Jing had a look of confusion on her face as she looked at the picture in her daughter’s hands. “What is this? This doesn’t seem to have any bones.”

  Miao Jing rarely visited the hospital. Back when she was pregnant, the hospital did not have this technology. She could not tell what the picture was.

  Zhai Hua sniffed and pointed at the picture. “Mom, this is your grandchild, my nephew or niece! I went with Qiao Nan to see the obstetrician today. The doctor said that Qiao Nan is two months pregnant. In less than eight months, I will be an auntie and you will be a grandma!”

  The small form would grow hands, legs, noses, and eyes. When the babies were born, they would wail and cry. In another year, they would become sweet little babies who would address her as their auntie!

  “M-my grandchild?” Miao Jing was shocked. She snatched the picture from Zhai Hua and stared at it intently. “M-my grandchild?” Miao Jing repeated in disbelief.

  “Yes, your grandchild. They are in Qiao Nan’s tummy now. Zhai Sheng is going to be a father. I will be an auntie and you will be a grandma!” Zhai Hua kept nodding. This was the first time that she saw her nephew and niece. Even though they were still very small, she was very emotional when seeing them.

  “Hahaha, I am going to be a grandma. I am going to be a grandma!” Miao Jing was as elated as Zhai Hua. “Hurry and give Zhai Sheng a call. Tell him this piece of good news. He is finally going to be a father. There will be children in the Zhai family again!”

  “What children are you talking about?” Old Master Zhai, who came back from outside, heard part of their conversation.

  “Old master, Qiao Nan is two months pregnant. You are going to be great-grandfather!” Zhai Hua was very happy to share the great news with her family.

  Bam! Old Master Zhai’s beloved teapot slipped out of his hands, dropping onto the floor, smashing into pieces. “I-I am going to be a great-grandfather. You must not play a joke on me!”

  “It is the truth. Take a look at this for yourself.” Zhai Hua snatched the first ‘photo’ that her nephew and niece took from her mother and showed it to Old Master Zhai. “Look. I am telling the truth!”

  “This black dot is my great-grandchild?”

  “Yes. In less than eight months, you will be able to hold the baby in your arms!”

  Old Master Zhai felt a wave of darkness and he fainted from being overly excited.

  “Old master?” Thankfully, Tian Dong had quick reflexes. He supported Old Master Zhai and pinched at his philtrum. Old Master Zhai regained his consciousness and howled loudly. “I am going to be a great-grandfather!!!”

  Old Master Zhai was elated but he had given Qiao Nan a good scare.

  “Don’t worry. Old Master Zhai is in good health. Don’t be worried.” Miao Jing was scared stiff by Old Master Zhai as well. Therefore, she could understand that Qiao Nan must be worried.

  Miao Jing could not help but be anxious at the thought of her unborn grandchild. “It’s alright. Everything is alright.” She must not frighten her grandchild.

  “Old master, Madam Zhai, congratulations.” The auntie smiled. It turned out that Qiao Nan was indeed pregnant. Qiao Nan brought fortune to them. The Zhai family had everything except for young children.

  The auntie who was all smiles did not know that Qiao Nan was really a lucky girl. When Qiao Nan found out how lucky she was many months later, she had a big shock herself as well. She was grateful to be bestowed with such a great fortune.

  “Hua Hua, you mentioned that you went with Nan Nan to the hospital. What did the doctor say? Is Nan Nan alright?” Miao Jing caressed Qiao Nan’s face tenderly. “Does she need more tonics? Nan Nan is quite skinny.”

  “The doctor said that she has to take more tonics. But we must not overdo it. If not, it will be difficult when she goes into labor in the future.” Zhai Hua repeated everything that the doctor told her.

  Zhai Yaohui came back right then. He also heard the great news that he was going to be a grandfather.

  “We must have a good meal today to celebrate. Dongzi, stay for dinner.” Miao Jing, who was going to be a grandmother, was all smiles. She was in high spirits, and she extended a warm invitation to Tian Dong.

  Tian Dong would not stand on ceremony. “Sure. I will impose on you today.” He agreed right away as if he had been waiting for the invitation.

  1141 To Say or Not to Say

  It was rare that the Zhai family was in such a good mood, and Old Master Zhai and Chief Zhai did not give him the cold shoulder. If Miao Jing did not ask him to stay, he would find ways to stay for dinner.

  Tian Dong had high emotional intelligence. He sat down and gave Miao Jing his name card. “Auntie, this is the hospital that I opened with my friend. It is not established for long, but it has a good reputation. We have famous doctors in the capital with us. My friend is a doctor as well. He came back from studying overseas in America. If needed, Qiao Nan can continue to go to the hospital for her checkup. I have already talked to my friend. It will be more convenient for Qiao Nan when she goes for her medical checkup in the future.”

  Miao Jing looked at the name card. The doctor that Tian Dong recommended to them was a female doctor. From the information on the name card, the female doctor seemed to be very competent.

  But the Zhai family had just been to the capital. They had not been to the hospital and did not know much about the hospitals in the capital.

  Qiao Nan was pregnant with her precious grandchild, who was the fourth generation of the Zhai family. Miao Jing had to be very cautious. “Dongzi, thank you for the recommendation.” She would take her time to check. If the doctor was indeed highly skilled, she would then allow Qiao Nan to continue to go to this doctor for her checkup.

  “You’re welcome.” Tian Dong smiled politely.

  Qiao Nan was pregnant. Everyone in the Zhai family was elated. Even if the men in the Zhai family knew that he had other intentions toward Zhai Hua, they also did not give him the cold treatment.

  Tian Dong knew this would be the case and so he made use of the chance to stay for dinner.

  This was the best time to leave a good impression on them.

  Since Qiao Nan was pregnant, she was the most precious person in the family.

  Qiao Nan woke up feeling good the next day and intended to return to her work at the Palace Museum.

  Initially, the Zhai family was against it. Qiao Nan was pregnant. She could not afford to have any accidents or to take a fall.

  Qiao Nan assured them that she was well. If she was uncomfortable, even if she had to give up on her social practice, she would make sure to take a leave to stay at home.

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  Furthermore, she was already two months pregnant. In the past two months, she had been studying at school and working as a volunteer guide at the Palace Museum. This proved that the work was not too tiring for her.

  What happened yesterday was purely an accident. If not for Yu Xiaoxiao who kept pestering her, Qiao Nan would not have felt giddy or almost took a fall.

  Qiao Nan sounded convincing and she looked energetic and healthy.

  Her eyes were sparkling clear, and her cheeks were rosy red. She looked like her usual self. Miao Jing debated with herself for a long time before she agreed for Qiao Nan to continue with her work as a volunteer guide.

  Qiao Nan went to work at the Palace Museum as a volunteer guide and interpreted for the visitors. What she did not know was that Miao Jing, who did not feel assured, asked Zhai Hua to go with her to watch Qiao Nan secretly, making sure that she was alright.

  The mother and daughter kept a close watch on Qiao Nan for the entire day.

  Miao Jing had to be sure that Qiao Nan was able to handle the job as a volunteer guide and that she did not put up a strong front.

  Thankfully, Qiao Nan was telling the truth.

  Qiao Nan was young and pretty, and she was good with her words. Whenever she helped out at the Palace Museum, she would take the initiative to attend to the visitors.

  Therefore, Qiao Nan was very well-liked by everyone and they took great care of her. Her peers also treated her courteously. They would never ask her to carry heavy things or do tiring work.

  When it was time to change the large carton of drinking water at the office, Qiao Nan only needed to call for help and someone would help replace the carton of water on the water dispenser.

  Zhai Hua observed anxiously while she assured her mother. “Look. As I have said, apart from the Qiao family who are blind, everyone gets along very well with Qiao Nan. If she is willing, I don’t think anyone will dislike her. She has high emotional intelligence.”

  Qiao Nan had told her about her classmates at the university and Zhai Hua could totally understand her situation.

  In the past two months, Qiao Nan either went for classes or studied at the library. She also needed to work as a volunteer guide at the Palace Museum. She did not even have time to miss her husband, let alone develop new friendships at Peking University.

  One would certainly be proud to be a student at Peking University.

  Qiao Nan was cool and reserved and she would not join in the fun. Moreover, she performed very well in school. It was not surprising that other students were jealous of her.

  Zhai Hua had done a check on Yu Xiaoxiao.

  Yu Xiaoxiao had said that she would not show up at Qiao Nan’s workplace again and would not pester Qiao Nan. She would work on improving herself before she applied to be a volunteer. True enough. She did not show up today. Since she no longer bothered Qiao Nan, Zhai Hua decided to let her off and did not ask her to be responsible for her actions yesterday.

  Zhai Hua did not tell Miao Jing about Yu Xiaoxiao. She was worried that if she told Miao Jing about yesterday’s incident, Qiao Nan would not be allowed to work at the Palace Museum anymore. Her mother might even feel that it was too dangerous for Qiao Nan to study at Peking University. After all, Yu Xiaoxiao was in the same faculty as Qiao Nan and she used to share the dormitory with her.

  Yesterday, she felt awkward to spend such a long time with Tian Dong by herself, so she brought Tian Dong with her to visit Qiao Nan.

  Thankfully, she was there. Otherwise, Qiao Nan might have really taken a fall and her nephew and niece might be in danger.

  But since Qiao Nan and her baby were alright and Yu Xiaoxiao did as she promised and never came to pester Qiao Nan again, Zhai Hua had no wish to take issue with her.

  “Mom, you should be assured now. Qiao Nan is smart. She would not commit such a mistake. The baby is very precious to her. She must be even more anxious than us.” Zhai Hua acted wisely in retrospect and reassured her mother on their way home.

  Miao Jing, who was going to be a grandmother, was in a good mood. She could not be bothered with her daughter. “Yes, you are right. Nan Nan is sensible and well-behaved. I should trust her.”

  Qiao Nan had been married for less than three months and she was two months pregnant. She was a good daughter-in-law!

  Zhai Hua, who drove the car, stole glances at Miao Jing. Seconds ago, her mother looked ecstatic but she would look sullen the next instant. Zhai Hua was puzzled. “Mom, what’s wrong?” Was she unhappy?

  Miao Jing sighed, feeling weary. “It is good that Qiao Nan is pregnant. I am considering whether to share this news with the Qiao family or not.”

  The entire Zhai family was truly happy that Qiao Nan was pregnant.

  She told her son over the phone about the good news yesterday. He was so thrilled that he kept his mother on the line, while he ran out cheering and wrestled with his soldiers to express his happiness. He came back to continue talking to his mother after he was done with the wrestling.

  If Qiao Nan’s parental family was like any other parental family, both families would be elated that Qiao Nan was pregnant.

  The problem was the Qiao family was unlike any other parental family.

  As the mother, Ding Jiayi would be angry to know that Qiao Nan was leading a good life. She might even curse Qiao Nan, hoping that she would suffer a miscarriage.

  1142 What’s the Problem?

  Miao Jing felt repulsed at the thought that Ding Jiayi might do that. She did not wish to let Ding Jiayi know about the existence of her grandchild.

  As for Qiao Dongliang, he would change his attitude time and again. He was worse than a woman suffering from menopause.

  Particularly after Nan Nan married Zhai Sheng, Qiao Dongliang seemed to revert to his old ways. He was solely focused on helping his elder daughter, Qiao Zijin, to find a trustworthy man.

  She was certain that Qiao Dongliang would be happy to know that he was going to be a grandfather.

  But she was worried that the next minute, Qiao Dongliang would be worried for Qiao Zijin. Nan Nan was already going to be a mother, while Qiao Zijin had not settled down and her future in-laws were not as good as Nan Nan’s in-laws.

  She was worried that Qiao Dongliang might not keep his worries to himself, and he would complain to Nan Nan. She would definitely be upset by his words.

  If Nan Nan was upset, her grandchild would be affected as well.

  Miao Jing felt that her in-laws were simply troublemakers!

  Zhai Hua turned sullen at the mention of the Qiao family. “What’s there to be indecisive about? We shall keep it a secret first. There is the custom that one can only speak of the pregnancy after the third month so that the baby will develop well. Qiao Nan is only two months pregnant. We will wait until she is three to four months pregnant before we tell them. Moreover, we are in the capital while the Qiao family is in Ping Cheng. Even if they are angry, they will calm down given some time.”

  Miao Jing snorted. “That might not be true. Qiao Dongliang might not go over the limits but the other two people in the Qiao family are shameless. We are already in the capital. I heard that Elder Lin and Zhu Chengqi are coming to the capital as well. Perhaps we will get to see each other this month. Since everyone is in the capital, do you think they will not want to come to the capital?”

  The Qiao family was not well-to-do. If they came to the capital, where would they stay? What about their meals and clothes?

  \r \r \r

  They would definitely ask the Zhai family to pay for them.

  If the Qiao family was thankful for their help, Miao Jing would be willing to host them and would not ask them to return the favor. However, given her understanding of Ding Jiayi, not only would she not be grateful, but she might even stir up trouble.

  She would not thank them. Instead, she might even be sarcastic toward them, saying that they despised her as the Qiao family was poor and that they intended to dismiss her with cheap clothes and food.

  Miao Jing had seen for herself how Ding Jiayi badmouthed her daughter, Qiao Nan.

  If Ding Jiayi could be so heartless to her own daughter, she would definitely be even more vicious to outsiders.

  Miao Jing was very satisfied with her daughter-in-law. The only shortcoming was that she was related to Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin.

  “This is not a problem. Even if they dare to come to the capital and we have to host them, there is no need for us to support them financially. I am not looking down on Uncle Qiao, but he would not be able to find a decent job in the capital. Even if he does get a job, his pay will not be enough for the entire family’s expenses. There is no need to pin any hopes on Ding Jiayi. As for Qiao Zijin, she is still taking her diploma studies. She is only in her second year. She would not be able to earn money. Instead, she would need a lot of money for her studies.”

  They would not be able to earn enough to cover their expenses and they would not be able to rely on their daughter. She believed that Uncle Qiao and Ding Jiayi would not be so brazen and shameless as to pin their hopes on the Zhai family.

  Even if Ding Jiayi had this in mind, Uncle Qiao would not be so shameless as to receive the money from the Zhai family.

  “Say no more. I am feeling vexed.” Miao Jing waved her hands, feeling repulsed. “You are right. Nan Nan is only two months pregnant. Let’s wait until she is four months pregnant to decide whether to say or not.”

  “Yes, that’s right. Don’t think too much. Shall we buy some child-rearing books to read and come up with a list of dishes for Qiao Nan?” Zhai Hua changed the topic, cheering Miao Jing up. “During the weekend, we can feed Qiao Nan with a lot of good food. But Qiao Nan will have her meals at the school canteen during weekdays. We have to check what food she cannot have. Qiao Nan is inexperienced. We do not want her to eat the wrong food.”

  “Yes, you’re right. We have to be extra careful with what she eats.” If Nan Nan was fed with nutritious food, her grandchild would grow up to be healthy and strong. In another eight months, they would be plump and fair.

  Miao Jing was easy to please. Since Zhai Hua was her daughter, they had a similar temperament. They were both simple and pure.

  Qiao Nan had no idea that Miao Jing was in a dilemma because of her pregnancy.

  Qiao Nan had been very disappointed with Qiao Dongliang over his behavior during her wedding. She could tell that he was intent on keeping contact with Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin. Qiao Nan would not stop him. Instead, she had given him a helping hand. She donated the house at the school district to Ping Cheng High School anonymously.

  Principal Meng knew what was going on and he had heard about the Qiao family’s family situation. He had a talk with Qiao Dongliang and he moved out even before the end of February.

  Ding Jiayi told Qiao Dongliang to move in with her and he did not reject her. Everyone in the quad knew that Qiao Dongliang and Ding Jiayi were living as husband and wife again.

  Since Qiao Dongliang had moved in with Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin, Qiao Nan was no longer worried for her father.

  She was so busy in the capital that she did not notice that she did not have her menses for two months. After she learned that she was pregnant, she also never thought of sharing the news with her father.

  Rome was not built in a day. It was because of the way that she was treated in her two lifetimes that caused her to be on bad terms with the Qiao family.

  Since Miao Jing did not inform them, it did not occur to Qiao Nan to tell them of her pregnancy.

  It was May now and the weather had turned warm. Qiao Nan’s tummy was beginning to show. She went with Zhai Hua to the hospital for her prenatal checkup. Both of them were left flabbergasted with a piece of news. It was even more shocking than when they learned that Qiao Nan was pregnant.

  “What’s wrong?” Zhai Hua stood by the side. She followed the female doctor’s instructions to remove Qiao Nan’s blouse so that the doctor could do the checkup. The doctor applied an oily cream on Qiao Nan’s protruding stomach and began to do the checkup.

  The female doctor was performing the checkup as per normal.

  But she knitted her brows as she did the examination. Zhai Hua could not help but be worried. “Is there anything wrong with Qiao Nan and the baby?”

  Tian Dong heard this and took out his cell phone to get Doctor Wei to join them.

  1143 More than One

  Ever since Qiao Nan was pregnant, Tian Dong could tell from the past three months that the Zhai family highly valued Qiao Nan.

  Even if it had nothing to do with the hospital, if Qiao Nan and the baby were found to be unhealthy, Tian Dong might be held responsible for it. He had to get Doctor Wei here to come up with a solution for him.

  If anything happened to Qiao Nan and the baby, god knows when he would be able to marry Zhai Hua and to have a child with her.

  “The frequency for the heartbeat seems to be slightly higher.” The female doctor observed.

  “What does that mean? Is there anything wrong with my baby?” Qiao Nan was scared stiff.

  “Qiao Nan, don’t worry. Everything will be alright. If there is anything wrong, we will find a good hospital to treat the baby.” Zhai Hua hugged Qiao Nan, comforting her.

  Zhai Hua was thinking of having a child. This child came at the right time.

  Zhai Hua had been cutting down on her visits to the camp. She was willing to change her vocation and stay at home to take care of Qiao Nan. In fact, the child was not only her brother’s child.

  It might be possible that she would not meet her destined love in this life.

  In that case, she would treat the child as her own.

  Therefore, Zhai Hua was just as worried when she knew that the child might be unhealthy.

  The female doctor smiled. She knew that her words must have given them a fright. “Don’t be worried. This may not mean that the baby is unhealthy. There is another possibility. There is more than one heartbeat in your tummy.”

  “More than one heartbeat?” Tian Dong thought about it. “Do you mean that she is carrying twins?”

  \r \r \r

  “There is definitely more than one child.” The female doctor smiled. “Congratulations. You have such good fortune. According to the national family planning policy, the household register in the city can only have one child. You have more than one child. You are very fortunate.”

  “M-more than one?” Zhai Hua had a silly and blank look on her face. She was overjoyed at the news. Even though she was not the mother, she was as elated as the mother. “This is too wonderful! Our family is blessed with such good fortune. Qiao Nan, did you hear that? I will have two nephews or nieces!” This was similar to striking the lottery.

  Zhai Hua, who was ecstatic, forgot about keeping a polite distance from Tian Dong and that he was a man. Instead, she pulled his shirt while she dug out his phone from his pocket in his pants pocket. “Lend me your cell phone. I must tell my mom the good news.”

  Ever since the Zhai family knew that Qiao Nan was pregnant, everyone began to read up on books related to child-rearing and pregnancy.

  Even though Miao Jing gave birth to two children, she did not read up on these materials back then.

  The times were different and habits might be different as well.

  The child would be the fourth generation of the Zhai family and it would be Zhai Sheng’s only child. No matter whether it was a boy or girl, the Zhai family would make sure that nothing went wrong.

  After they found out that electronic products would emit radiation, the Zhai family would keep their cell phones aside if they were near Qiao Nan.

  Since Zhai Hua did not bring her cell phone, she had to borrow it from Tian Dong.

  Zhai Hua did not feel that there was anything wrong with her action, but Tian Dong’s fair face turned red, feeling a mixture of emotions.

  The lady that he liked had her hands on him, particularly her hand which was touching him around his pants pocket. Tian Dong had steered off women for nearly thirty years, but he was a healthy man. It was impossible for him not to have any reaction.

  And he reacted strongly to it.

  That was why Tian Dong felt very awkward.

  The room was filled with women. If he had any unsightly behavior, it would be very embarrassing.

  Thankfully, although Zhai Hua seldom went to the army, she was still deft and nimble. She managed to get the cell phone from Tian Dong’s pocket in less than three seconds.

  Tian Dong breathed a sigh of relief when Zhai Hua’s hands were no longer on him. But he seemed to miss the moment.

  “Hello, Mom, it’s me. Yes, Qiao Nan and I are at the hospital. Mom, let me tell you a piece of good news. In the future, you must prepare two sets of belongings for your grandchildren. In another five months, we will have two babies in our family!”

  Zhai Hua had just finished her sentence when Miao Jing screamed, disregarding her status. “Two? Two!!!”

  “Yes, two babies!” Zhai Hua was all smiles. She understood the excitement and joy that her mother must be feeling right now.

  “Mom, don’t worry. After the prenatal checkup, I will bring Qiao Nan home. Qiao Nan will have to eat more to make sure that the three of them have good and nutritious food.” They must not starve Qiao Nan’s babies.

  Zhai Hua threw the cell phone back to Tian Dong after she finished the phone call. Luckily, Tian Dong had sharp eyes and he caught the cell phone. Otherwise, it would have smashed to pieces.

  Zhai Hua walked smilingly toward Qiao Nan. She seemed like the Grandma Wolf in ‘Little Red Riding Hood’.

  She took the towel from the nurse and wiped the excess cream off Qiao Nan’s tummy.

  Zhai Hua did not dare to exert any strength while she cleaned Qiao Nan’s tummy. It was as if her tummy was even more fragile and brittle than the most expensive porcelain in the world. It was the most precious treasure that she had. “Nan Nan, are you hungry? Do you want to have something to eat before we go back home? I think we’d better not do that. The food outside may not be safe. Please bear with it. Let’s go home to eat, shall we?”

  From today onward, she had to ask the auntie to prepare more snacks for Qiao Nan.

  Qiao Nan preferred to stay at the school during the weekdays and she insisted on doing social practice during the weekend. If she was hungry, she had to have food outside.

  If the auntie prepared more snacks for her, Qiao Nan could bring them with her and had it whenever she was hungry.

  “No, I am not hungry.” Compared to Zhai Hua and Miao Jing who were ecstatic, Qiao Nan felt a mixture of emotions.

  Finally, she was going to be a mother. Qiao Nan felt that she was blessed and fortunate.

  However, she and Zhai Sheng had come to an agreement that regardless of whether she had a boy or a girl, they would only have one child.

  She did not know whether to laugh or cry now that she was having twins.

  She had been through two lifetimes where her parents were biased toward her sister. Qiao Nan was worried that she would inherit her parents’ flaws and that she would walk in their footsteps. She feared that she would be biased toward one child and hurt the other child.

  “Since you are not hungry, let’s take a seat. I have some questions to ask the doctor.”


  1144 Qiao Nan Had the Final Say

  No matter what, Qiao Nan had the final say. After ‘waiting’ on Qiao Nan, Zhai Hua took her time to consult the doctor regarding Qiao Nan and the babies.

  Luckily, the female doctor replied that they were doing well. “The mother is in good health. It has been nearly five months. One could tell that she has been well taken care of. She did not have significant pregnancy reactions. The mother and babies are doing well. Actually, one could tell that she is having twins. But even so, the babies are developing well.”

  The female doctor studied the ultrasound. The babies in the ultrasound were larger than the previous checkup. They would eventually develop to have small hands, legs, noses, and eyes.

  “All the data indicates that the mother is doing well, but there is something to take note. The mother is still in the early terms of her pregnancy, so she and the babes are doing fine. When the babies develop and grow bigger, they will need more nutrition. It will be more difficult for the mother to carry twins. Though she is blessed with twins, she will have to withstand higher stress and she may have more pregnancy reactions. Another thing is that mothers with twins will usually go into labor around the ninth month. She would not carry the babies to full term. Therefore, you have to be prepared that the mother will have premature labor.”

  In other words, other pregnant ladies only needed to go to the hospital one to two days before their due date.

  But for Qiao Nan, she would need to stay at the hospital earlier than other mothers, lest she go into labor earlier than expected and they might be caught unaware.

  Having twins was double the joy and double the risk.

  “Alright, I understand.” Zhai Hua turned serious. “We will definitely go to the hospital many days before the due date.” It was alright to spend more money. What was important was that Qiao Nan and the babies were safe.

  \r \r \r

  Previously, Zhai Hua was ecstatic that Qiao Nan had twins. Now, it dawned on her that it was indeed happy to have two babies in the family, but it would be hard on Qiao Nan to carry twins.

  After all, unlike other pregnant ladies, Qiao Nan had to go to school every day and take part in social practice. She had to work hard for her studies and scholarship.

  Now that Qiao Nan was pregnant with twins, she must be feeling the pressure.

  Qiao Nan was only twenty-one years old this year. Zhai Hua felt sorry for Qiao Nan and her heart ached for her. “Nan Nan, don’t worry. Everything will be alright. We will take good care of you. Don’t feel pressured. If you have anything that you want to do, tell us and we will do it. Nothing is more important than the twins that you are carrying.”

  Qiao Nan remained silent and she looked serious. Zhai Hua felt that Qiao Nan must be worried due to the doctor’s words.

  Qiao Nan forced a smile at Zhai Hua’s words of comfort. “Sister Zhai Hua, I understand. I am fine. It is just that it is too sudden. I am still coming to terms with it.”

  Qiao Nan had a bitter smile on her face. “As you know, I am young and I am going to be a mother of two all of a sudden. Sister Zhai Hua, I am afraid that I don’t know how to be a mother and I won’t be a good mother. I fear……”

  She feared that she would be muddleheaded like Ding Jiayi. What should she do if she hurt her children in the future?

  Qiao Nan was enveloped by helplessness. She had an impulse to abort the babies. If she did not have any children, she would not have the chance to hurt them in the future.

  Qiao Nan broke into tears at this thought.

  She longed to have a baby in her two lifetimes. She could not bear to abort them.

  She would rather die than lose her baby.

  Qiao Nan cried uncontrollably. In no time, her face was soaked with tears. Zhai Hua was scared stiff. “Nan Nan, don’t cry. Don’t be worried. We are not afraid at all. Everything will be alright. You are such a good person, and you are so good to us. Why will you mistreat your children? You will be a good mother. Don’t frighten yourself. Don’t cry anymore.”

  Zhai Hua did not know how to console people. She panicked and rushed to wipe Qiao Nan’s tears. She looked at Tian Dong, asking for help.

  Since Zhai Hua was helpless, as a man, Tian Dong was all the more clueless. “Doctor, what do you say?”

  The female doctor handed a tissue to Qiao Nan, while she advised Zhai Hua. “In fact, she did not suffer from a serious case of pregnancy reactions. Pregnant ladies will have mood swings and they will tend to cry or lose their temper. There might be all sorts of situations. This is very common. As her family, you must learn to reassure her and prevent her from having mood swings. This is not good for the mother and the babies.”

  “A pregnant woman will be sensitive and tends to think too much. I believe you should have heard that many women may suffer from postpartum depression. This is not limited to ladies who gave birth to their babies. It also applies to pregnant mothers. Therefore, you must be patient and good-tempered when you are with pregnant ladies.”

  One must treat a pregnant lady as the queen, wait on them, and make them happy.

  Although the female doctor did not say it, Zhai Hua understood her intended meaning. “Doctor, rest assured. We will definitely do that. Nan Nan has been doing well since her pregnancy. It might be that she is still in shock upon learning that she has twins. Therefore, she has mood swings. I understand what needs to be done. By the way, will it be better if the husband spends more time with her?”

  “Is the husband not around?” The female doctor was surprised. It was no wonder that the sister-in-law accompanied the pregnant lady during the two visits to the hospital. She had indeed never seen the husband.

  Zhai Hua was proud yet sorry at the situation. “My brother is a soldier. He rarely gets to spend time at home or accompany my sister-in-law.”

  There was a look of respect in the female doctor’s eyes. “I see. It will be good if the husband can spend more time with her. Of course, as the family who gets to spend more time with the mother, it is more important that you take good care of her and reassure her.”

  “Thank you.” Now that she knew that Qiao Nan was having twins, Zhai Hua posed a lot of questions to the doctor to learn more about Qiao Nan’s situation. She made sure that she clarified all her queries. The female doctor also reassured Zhai Hua that if she had any doubts or she thought of other questions, she could always call her on the phone. It was then that Zhai Hua finally felt that she could call it a day.

  The female doctor had to pay more attention to Qiao Nan on account of Doctor Wei.