Wasn’t it best that Qiao Zijin didn’t visit? As for why she decided not to come, whether it was because she herself decided not to come, or whether his father-in-law had stopped her from coming, it didn’t matter. The result was good all the same.

  “Nan Nan, try it. I made an old hen soup today. This is a hen that laid eggs. It’s really good and nutritious. You can have a few bowls of it.”

  Qiao Dongliang didn’t have many relatives and his parents had passed on early. As such, he knew his way around the kitchen even as a bachelor. Besides, while Grandpa Qiao had been in the army, Grandma Qiao had raised Qiao Dongliang alone. Sometimes, Qiao Dongliang would be by her side, helping her out in the kitchen as she whipped up their meals. At those times, Grandma Qiao would also impart some tips to Qiao Dongliang from time to time.

  That was why Qiao Dongliang was pretty good at things like making soup. The soup was fragrant and thick. Because the chicken had already been skinned, the soup was no longer as oily.

  Qiao Nan took a sip of it. Yes, it tasted quite good. It was just that Qiao Dongliang’s next words made Qiao Nan lose all interest in the soup. Even the sip that she had just taken made her feel uncomfortable all over. “Zijin visited quite a few places before she managed to get this old hen. It should be a countryside free-range hen, not those raised on artificial feed. Those don’t taste very good, and they aren’t very nutritious either.”

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  “…” Qiao Nan looked at the soup in her hands rather awkwardly. She couldn’t bring herself to take a second mouthful of the soup. Qiao Zijin had bought her this old hen? Hehe. She dared not eat anything from Qiao Zijin. She still had the will to live. Anything from Qiao Zijin came in exchange for years of her life! “Brother Zhai, I’m not very hungry…” So, her husband could decide on how to dispose of the soup. In short, she wouldn’t drink it.

  Qiao Dongliang understood Qiao Nan’s dilemma. “Nan Nan, try it. I spent a lot of time making it. I understand if you don’t feel good about it. But there’s no need to be so stubborn about it. After Zijin married Chen Jun, have you ever seen her earn a single cent for herself? She only has money now because your mom used your salary to buy her that house. Her money is yours. There’s no need to feel bad about using whatever she buys because everything has been bought with your own money.”

  No matter how he looked at it, Nan Nan owed Zijin nothing. Only Zijin owed Nan Nan so much that she would never be able to repay her in this lifetime.

  Qiao Nan wiped her mouth. “Dad, don’t overthink it. My mother-in-law made soup today as well and it hasn’t been long since I drank it. My stomach is full of water now. If this soup wasn’t made by you, I wouldn’t even have taken a sip. I just didn’t want to let your efforts go to waste. I’m really full. I can’t stomach any more. The doctor said that I’m too well-nourished and that won’t do either. I have to pay more attention to what I eat.”

  That was what she said, and it was logical, but the truth was that she despised Qiao Zijin. Perhaps, it was because she was pregnant that Qiao Nan found herself much pettier. Because she knew the kind of person Qiao Zijin was, it would make absolutely no difference to her decision to help Qiao Zijin whether she drank this soup or not. Neither was she going to let Qiao Zijin off easily just because of a bowl of soup. Upon hearing that Qiao Zijin had bought this hen specially for her, she had really lost all appetite.

  “Dad, Nan Nan is right.” Zhai Sheng stood on Qiao Nan’s side unconditionally. Besides, it was true that the Zhai family had just sent some soup over earlier that day.

  Qiao Dongliang sighed. “Alright, don’t drink it if you don’t want to. It’s more important for you to be in a good mood.” He had not expected Nan Nan to be so against Zijin. Yesterday, it made sense for Nan Nan to have not eaten the watermelon that Zijin had bought. But her attitude had remained the same toward today’s chicken soup.

  “What’s wrong?” Zhai Sheng saw Qiao Nan frowning immediately after he put the soup back.

  Qiao Nan shook her head. “It’s nothing much. I don’t know whether it’s my stomach hurting, or my hips hurting.” After taking a sip of that chicken soup, Qiao Nan felt flustered and disgusted. That taste made Qiao Nan feel uncomfortable in all sorts of ways.

  Qiao Nan guessed that it was the psychological impact of hating Qiao Zijin. Because she hated Qiao Zijin, she disliked everything related to her. Because she had drunk Qiao Zijin’s soup, her body was starting to act up.

  “Where exactly is the pain?” Qiao Nan did not take this change to heart, but Zhai Sheng did. “Feel it again. Is it your stomach that’s hurting?”

  As he said that, Zhai Sheng glanced at the flask of chicken soup in disdain. Even a normal person would know not to do anything to that soup. The problem was that it was Qiao Zijin they were talking about. Qiao Zijin was someone whom one could never figure out based on common sense or logic.

  What if Qiao Zijin had indeed been stupid enough to do something to the soup? What would they do? Zhai Sheng was on the verge of calling the doctor over to check on whether there was something wrong with the soup.

  Qiao Dongliang felt as though someone had struck him with a baseball bat. “That-that can’t be, right?” Nan Nan had only started feeling unwell after drinking his soup. Did that mean that something was wrong with the soup that he had brought over? Thinking of that possibility, Qiao Dongliang felt slightly guilty. Although he had made the soup himself, Qiao Zijin had bought the chicken, after all. “It shouldn’t be. I watched over the soup myself the entire time. Zijin didn’t even get close to it.”

  If Zijin had indeed been so bold as to do something to the chicken soup, he would break her leg, even if she was his own daughter. Did she really have to go so far?

  Qiao Dongliang rushed out into the corridor to call for the doctors and nurses. “Zhai Sheng, let’s not scare ourselves. Nan Nan, where does it hurt?” Although he said that, Qiao Dongliang’s face was already drained of all color. A more careful look would reveal that Qiao Dongliang’s hands were already trembling.

  “Don’t worry.” Amongst the three of them, Qiao Nan was the calmest. “It’s normal to have stomachaches. This isn’t the first time. Give me a while. The pain will subside.”

  At times, the three babies started kicking each other and moving around, causing Qiao Nan to feel pain. As the children grew bigger, they obviously grew stronger as well. When they moved, Qiao Nan could feel it more strongly.