They did not stop Tian Dong from making things difficult for Qiao Nan or asking Qiao Nan to help Tian Dong, their future son-in-law, to clinch the deal.

  The elders in the Zhai family were very democratic.

  Since Tian Dong agreed with her, Qiao Nan wasted no time and she made a phone call to Gao Yan that night.

  Actually, as soon as Xu Shengnan left the Zhai family’s residence, she had made a phone call to Gao Yan and told him about the situation. Gao Yan had expected that Qiao Nan would call him. “I am okay with your idea, but can you do me a favor?”

  Qiao Nan patted San Bao, who was asleep, so that she could sleep soundly. She stood up and walked to the window. “What do you want me to help you with? Senior Gao, you must be joking. I have to think of my good friend’s best interests. I will not ‘betray’ her.” If Gao Yan wanted to marry Fang Fang, he had to woo her by himself. She would not interfere or force Fang Fang into it.

  Finding a husband was different from choosing a major. For her, even a broken clock was right twice a day. She was lucky to find such a good man like Brother Zhai.

  Qiao Nan could not vouch that Gao Yan was a good man. Therefore, she refused to be embroiled into it.

  Gao Yan smiled, feeling assured. “Fang Fang has warned me about it long ago. Now that you have stated your stand, I will no longer harbor any hopes. Don’t worry. I won’t ask you to do anything that is too overboard. Furthermore, if you really agreed to help me woo Fang Fang, she would not misunderstand that you betrayed her. Instead, she would give me a lashing, thinking that I forced you into it. I know Fang Fang better than you.”

  Actually, he was quite unhappy at hearing this answer, but at the same time, he was glad that Fang Fang had such a good friend.

  Ever since he started his own business, he was used to the deception and plotting between his business competitors. Let alone friends, one would even betray one’s relatives.

  Qiao Nan had only been Fang Fang’s classmate and roommate for three years. Gao Yan knew that it was rare that she was so nice to Fang Fang and could remain objective. “I heard from Fang Fang that you know how to make your own clothes?”

  \r \r \r

  “And?” Qiao Nan knew what he was driving at. Before she graduated from high school, she made six cotton flax Morita style dresses for her roommates. It was nothing fancy, but it gave off a comfortable and warm feeling. Fang Fang and the rest of them were delighted to have one dress each.

  They had been through puberty and would not outgrow the dresses.

  The six of them agreed that after they graduated, they would have a gathering by themselves and go on a graduation trip together. All of them would wear the dress during the trip.

  Since all of them were on the same page and they were on the topic, Gao Yan did not beat about the bush. “I want to prepare a gift for Fang Fang. She will not accept any expensive gifts and she does not like the clothes that are sold in the market. Therefore…… you should understand.” He was flustered that his girlfriend was so difficult to please.

  “Okay.” It was an easy feat to make a dress. “When would you meet my brother-in-law?”

  “It is up to you. I have been very sincere. But please let me know beforehand. When we meet, can you ask your brother-in-law to pass me the dress?”

  “I have to hand it to you. Deal.”

  Qiao Nan went to Zhai Hua’s room after hanging up the phone and told her about her conversation with Gao Yan.

  Zhai Hua could feel Tian Dong’s sincerity and therefore decided to invest her feelings into the relationship. She was especially glad that she could lend Tian Dong a helping hand. Qiao Nan had yet to return to her room and she could not wait to share the good news with Tian Dong.

  “Alright. Sure, I understand. I have to thank sister-in-law. Also, tell her to let me know the materials that she needs for the dress. I will get someone to buy them. If she feels that it is more convenient for her to purchase them by herself, she can do so and I will pass the money to her.” Tian Dong relaxed. He never expected that when the project had come to a standstill, it was because of Qiao Nan, the person who had the lowest position in the Zhai family, that made him see hope in the project.

  Zhai Hua snorted. “The materials will not cost much. What’s important is you must remember that Nan Nan is very capable. In the future, your family must not look down on her. Otherwise, don’t blame me for having a bad temper.”

  Previously, when Uncle Tian and Auntie Tian came to their house to discuss the marriage, she felt that they were distant and very polite to Nan Nan.

  Zhai Hua was unhappy that her future father-in-law and mother-in-law did not respect the feelings of the person that she valued.

  Thankfully, she had changed under Qiao Nan’s influence and her temper was not as nasty as before. Although she did not do anything that would make things difficult for them, she would not forget how they treated Qiao Nan.

  It was because of Qiao Nan’s and Zhai Sheng’s wedding that Tian Shouxin and his wife were able to go to the Zhai family’s residence more than a year ago.

  Zhai Hua was unhappy that they were being distant to Qiao Nan. They behaved as if after Zhai Hua married Tian Dong and the two families became in-laws, Qiao Nan would take advantage of the Tian family.

  With Elder Lin around, there was no need for Nan Nan to take advantage of the Tian family.

  What a joke!

  Thankfully, Tian Shouxin and his wife were not too obvious. To Qiao Nan, it might be that they were particularly affectionate to Zhai Hua and the Zhai family, and that was why it seemed as if she was being treated differently.

  Compared to other people who were proud and arrogant, Tian Shouxin and his wife were considered as cultured.

  Tian Dong had a bitter smile on his face. He had no other choice that his wife favored his sister-in-law more than him. He was flustered. “Don’t worry. Qiao Nan might not want me to repay the debts, but I will definitely remember the help that she rendered me. Regardless of whether the project is successful or not, without her, I will not have a chance to talk to Gao Yan and try to persuade him. I have to thank her and you. I know that if not for you, Qiao Nan would not agree to help me.”

  It was because of Zhai Hua that Qiao Nan was acquainted with the Tian family. To Qiao Nan, the Tian family did not have much influence.

  “It’s good that you understand. I will end the call.” Zhai Hua felt much better after the call. Look, the Tian family had to rely on Nan Nan to do their businesses.

  It was better not to burn the bridges.

  Otherwise, the Tian family would not have such luck and chance next time.

  Tian Dong hung up the phone and Tian Shouxin looked at him, feeling shocked. But he did not openly display that he was surprised. “Did Qiao Nan really know the boss of that company? Do they have dealings with each other?” Tian Shouxin seldom went to the company, but Tian Dong would always tell him about what was going on at the company.

  “Didn’t you say that she comes from a very normal family? How could she have known the boss of the company?” Mother Tian found it just as unbelievable that Zhai Hua’s sister-in-law’s social circle and the people within her social circle were successful people. She did not bask in the Zhai family’s glory at all.

  Tian Dong smiled lightly. “Mom, you should have heard of a Chinese saying that one should not bully the young now that they are poor. You should know how formidable Zhai Sheng is. Given his judgment, he would definitely pick a good wife.”


  1290 Genuineness

  “You are prejudiced. That’s why you can’t look at the situation objectively.” Thankfully, Zhai Sheng was not around that day.

  However, Hua Hua had reminded him if Zhai Sheng was around next time and his parents continued to be distant toward Qiao Nan, treating her like a guest rather than their family, Zhai Sheng would say harsher words and deal with them more seriously than her.

  Tian Dong was put in a difficult position because of that.

  His parents did not know Qiao Nan and they had zero contact with her.

  It was too much to ask of his parents to treat Qiao Nan as their niece on their second encounter. Compared to other people, his parents had been treating Qiao Nan fairly well.

  However, as long as it was related to Qiao Nan, the Zhai family would have a very high expectation to the extent that it was ridiculous and unreasonable.

  Tian Shouxin could tell that his son was in a difficult position. He felt bitter and expressed his displeasure. “Fine! Now that you have a wife, you totally forgot about your mother. I understand. Since the Zhai family places such high importance on Qiao Nan, I am sure after you married Zhai Hua, they will treat you in the same manner as well. To outsiders, Zhai Sheng’s behavior is too brutal, but if we are one family in the future, their behavior could be seen as acceptable.”

  At the very least, he believed that after his son married Zhai Hua, the Zhai family would be equally protective of his son, just like how they defended Qiao Nan.

  In that case, he would stand to gain from it.

  Very few people were able to treat their daughter-in-law and son-in-law as their sons and daughters.

  “Dongzi, I can conclude two points from this situation. Firstly, the Zhai family will defend their own, provided that you have been recognized and affirmed by them. Secondly, I believe that Qiao Nan must have made a lot of contributions to the Zhai family for them to treat her so well.”

  \r \r \r

  Qiao Nan had already set an example. If Tian Dong did not perform as well, he would not be able to match up to Qiao Nan.

  If Tian Dong was not mentally prepared, he might be under a lot of pressure in the future.

  Although it was their son who married a wife, since their in-laws were influential people like the Zhai family, there were many other issues and concerns that they needed to be aware of.

  Mother Tian curled the corners of her lips unhappily, but she remained silent.

  There was nothing that she could say.

  She had overheard the conversation on the phone just now. She felt that she had been polite to Qiao Nan, but she did not expect that her son had to rely on Qiao Nan to get his business deals.

  She must not look down on Qiao Nan just because of her humble background. No matter what, she was the daughter-in-law of the Zhai family and she had given birth to three babies for the Zhai family.

  Qiao Nan had secured her foothold in the Zhai family. In the future, they would be relatives, and it was better for them to be closer to each other.

  Qiao Nan knew that time was money, especially for Tian Dong who was a businessman. Time was precious. It was particularly important to act faster than the competitors and pick the right time to market their products.

  Thankfully, she was still very familiar with how to make clothes. She took into consideration Fang Fang’s preferences and made an improvised cheongsam for her. She would be able to wear it in normal circumstances and she would not appear to be out of place.

  It was relatively easy to tailor the clothes to be worn during the spring, summer, and autumn. As for winter clothing, they were thicker and the material was not as soft and easy to handle. Fang Fang could wear the cheongsam and put on a thicker jacket to keep herself warm. If there was a heater, she could take off the outer jacket and she would look pretty with the improvised cheongsam.

  Since Gao Yan had stated that he wanted a dress for Fang Fang, Qiao Nan spent a day making the dress when she had some free time. She washed it, ironed it, and folded it, wrapping it nicely with paper and handed it to Tian Dong. “Future brother-in-law, let me remind you. You must keep a tight watch on the dress. If anything goes wrong with the dress, today’s meeting might be called off and I won’t be able to help you in the future.”

  Tian Dong said jokingly, “Don’t worry. Even if anything happens, I will make sure that the dress is intact. No matter what, this is your hard work.”

  Zhai Hua had told Tian Dong everything about Gao Yan and the reason why Gao Yan was so polite to Qiao Nan, as well as whom the dress was meant for.

  It was easy to buy a dress. However, the difficult part was that Qiao Nan had to design and make the dress by herself.

  Qiao Nan was not a professional. Luckily, she had some experience and she agreed to help him. Otherwise, such a request could be seen as a way to reject his request to speak with him in private.

  “It’s good that you know.” Zhai Hua nodded approvingly. “After the triplets joined our family, they are the only ones to enjoy such privileges. You are the only one to be able to make such a request. If it was someone else, they would have been sent away by us.” It was rare that the Tian family needed Qiao Nan’s help. Zhai Hua made use of this opportunity for the Tian family to owe Qiao Nan a debt of gratitude.

  To her, there was no way that Qiao Nan would need to seek help from the Tian family. However, it was good that the Tian family needed Qiao Nan’s help. In that way, they would no longer look down on her in the future.

  Tian Dong had a bitter smile on his face. Zhai Hua was so bent on making sure that the Tian family owed Qiao Nan a favor. But at the same time, he was envious that Zhai Hua was so protective of Qiao Nan.

  Time revealed a person’s heart. He believed that Zhai Hua would be able to feel his sincerity.

  Qiao Nan was nice to Hua Hua, so Hua Hua treated her just as well. In the future, he would be spending the rest of his life with Hua Hua. There would be a day Hua Hua would put him as her priority and treat him far better than Qiao Nan.

  In terms of a romantic relationship, not only women, but men were also equally jealous and childish.

  Tian Dong brought with him the dress that Qiao Nan made and had a long talk with Gao Yan. It was far longer than the one hour that Gao Yan had allocated for the meeting. To Gao Yan, the time spent was worth it. He did not feel that he was wasting his time.

  Tian Dong, who spent more than twenty years overseas, had his own way of thinking and insight. One could not gain this insight and experience by charging forward fearlessly and spending all their efforts to excel in their career.

  After learning about Tian Dong’s aspirations, Gao Yan, who had his own ambitions, could not agree more with him. Previously, he lacked the opportunity and suitable partners to work with him, and that was why he did not go into much collaboration with other companies.

  It was hard to find a friend who shared the same ambitions and purposes with him. Therefore, they had a very good time chatting with each other.

  They spent the whole afternoon talking about different topics and shared their experiences, but there was little mention of the cooperation between the two companies. It was only when they received messages from their mothers urging them to go back home for dinner did they end the talk and parted ways.

  For Gao Yan, he had gained a lot from the talk. He learned about Tian Dong’s ambitions and he had with him a dress to give his childhood sweetheart.

  As soon as he got into the car, Gao Yan made a phone call to Fang Fang. “Hello, Fang Fang, it’s me.”


  1291 Affirmation

  “I know……” Fang Fang, who was on the other side the phone, sounded monotonous.

  It was not that Fang Fang wanted to shun Gao Yan. The fact was that Gao Yan’s intelligence was completely lacking sometimes. Often times, Gao Yan would behave in this manner seven to eight out of ten times in front of her.

  Each time she encountered such situations, Fang Fang could not help doubting how Gao Yan managed to start up a company. She even heard that he had been managing his business very well. Could it be that those who did businesses with Gao Yan were the greatest fools amongst the fools?

  However, she was once again speechless when she thought of Gao Yan’s consistent and excellent academic performance since he was a child. “The phone in my house shows the caller’s ID. Thank you!” He frequently made calls to her home. If she could not even remember Gao Yan’s cell phone number, she should start doubting what she had learned in Mathematics during the nine years of compulsory education and three years of senior high school studies.

  “Oh.” Gao Yan did not lose his temper despite being shunned by Fang Fang. “Are my parents already at your house?”

  At the mention of this, Fang Fang felt even angrier. Didn’t Gao Yan’s family come to the capital earlier than hers? They had a car and property. Why did Gao Yan like to come to her house and get a free meal every time? Couldn’t he go home to take his meals?

  “Both uncle and auntie are here.”

  If there were only Gao Yan and the two of them were having a private conversation, Fang Fang would definitely shoo Gao Yan without reservation, asking him to go home. However, the elders of both families were present. Fang Fang’s attitude to Gao Yan was not good but she was very nice to Father Gao and Mother Gao. She would always greet them sweetly.

  As such, Fang Fang’s annoyance was only restricted to Gao Yan.

  “Fine, give me a minute. I will arrive at your house soon. I have a gift for you.” Gao Yan smiled. Qiao Nan was not only married but was also a mother of three now. Fang Fang was Qiao Nan’s former classmate. They could not fall behind others too badly either. Even if they could not get married and have children now, it was not too much to become engaged first, right?

  \r \r \r

  Putting aside whether Gao Yan, who had planned for a long time, managed to successfully propose to Fang Fang with his present.

  At the sight of Tian Dong putting behind his gloom and becoming more cheerful, it was obvious that the meet-up today was very successful. On the second day, Auntie Tian was polite and all smiles when she brought many gifts to the Zhai family to thank Qiao Nan. “Nan Nan really helped us a lot this time.”

  Auntie Tian was in a dilemma too. Until now, she was still in a daze and could not really figure out how the ‘poor relative’ in her eyes could be of help to her son. As a result, her son would most likely strike a deal that was extremely important to the progress of his company after returning to the home country.

  Although this ‘poor relative’ did not have much of a background, she knew many people. Qiao Nan might not be in any less desirable state even if Lin Yuankang was not her master.

  It was obvious that Mother Tian was more affectionate this time. Nevertheless, Qiao Nan was neither smug nor arrogant. She behaved normally, as if Mother Tian had always adopted the same attitude toward her all this while. Her mature and gracious style lit up the eyes of others. “You have been too polite. You’re brother-in-law’s mother. Sister Zhai Hua still requires more of your care in the future. Moreover, much of the credit goes to brother-in-law himself. I didn’t help that much.”

  Qiao Nan wanted to let Zhai Hua take the credit.

  She had a good mother-in-law. Hence, Qiao Nan hoped that her sister-in-law could have one too.

  She made the Tian family accept that they owed Zhai Hua a favor. If there were anything that the Tian family did not like about Zhai Hua, Qiao Nan hoped that the two elders in the Tian family could be more forgiving toward Zhai Hua in the future on the account of the Zhai family or this matter.

  As for herself, Qiao Nan had never thought of using a piece of clothing to gain anything from the Tian family.

  As for how the Tian family of three thought of her eventually, Qiao Nan was not concerned. Zhai Hua, not her, would be the one living with the Tian family of three. After she gained enough favor for her sister-in-law, the rest of the matters did not bother her.

  Qiao Nan had heard from Zhai Sheng about Tian Shouyi’s doings. Compared to Tian Shouyi, Tian Shouxin and family were extremely kind. However, no one was perfect. Who did not have weaknesses? She was not money. Why would everyone behave like her mother-in-law and cherish her like a treasure?

  Qiao Nan adopted a normal attitude. Never did she feel that she should not receive such treatment just because she was the daughter-in-law of the Zhai family. As such, she came across as an outstanding and striking individual to the Tian family.

  Mother Tian let out a sigh of exasperation. She had no choice but to take her hat off to Qiao Nan.

  In the past, she had not interacted much with Qiao Nan. Thus, she had reservation toward this ‘young’ daughter-in-law of the Zhai family. After coming into contact with her, she realized that she had been projecting her own shortcomings on others. Furthermore, she was the elder and Qiao Nan the junior. Their roles seemed to have been completely reversed earlier.

  This was such a good child. It was no wonder that all of the Zhai family sided with Qiao Nan.

  If it were her, she would also be fond of Qiao Nan—no, she was already fond of Qiao Nan. She was very glad that her future daughter-in-law could have such a good sister-in-law, who placed all the credit of the success of this business deal on her daughter-in-law.

  It would be her family’s matter to owe their daughter-in-law this favor. However, owing Qiao Nan a favor would mean that they owed the Zhai family one.

  Regardless of how effortless it was for Qiao Nan to help the Tian family today, a favor was a favor. This was a fact that could not be changed. The Tian family would still feel the pinch if they wished to return the favor to the Zhai family as they would need to pay a high price for it.

  It was only until this moment that Mother Tian truly understood why Zhai Hua sided so much with Qiao Nan. She did not even give any face to her son, her future husband, because of Qiao Nan.

  It was all due to mutual sincerity.

  If Qiao Nan was not so good to Hua Hua, Hua Hua would not place Qiao Nan in such an important place in her heart.

  It was possible that Qiao Nan’s existence was not the Zhai family’s only shortcoming. Perhaps Qiao Nan’s existence would make the Zhai family become increasingly dazzling in the future such that no one could hold a stick to.

  There was no problem with the future in-laws at all. Nothing was happier than such a situation to the Tian family who was going to become relatives with the Zhai family.

  After sorting out her thoughts, Mother Tian’s attitude was more affectionate when she chatted with Miao Jing. It was obvious that she was more sincere. Especially when she mentioned Qiao Nan, the praises did not seem to cost any money. She praised Qiao Nan so much, as if the latter was a divine who was out of this world. “Sister Miao, you are so blessed. Me too. Nothing will go wrong if Hua Hua interacts more with Qiao Nan in the future.”

  Just based on this incident alone, Qiao Nan was very brilliant in dealing with people. Hua Hua was often in the army. Besides carrying out missions, she was not as good as Qiao Nan in this area.

  One is marked by the company one keeps. If Hua Hua were to learn more from Nan Nan, the Tian family should have good fortune in the future too.

  Both her daughter-in-law and daughter had received the affirmation of the in-laws. As such, Miao Jing was both overjoyed and proud.