Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  “Uncle Zhai, a woman named Qi Minlan cornered me today, saying that she’s Brother Zhai’s fiancée. She doesn’t like me and wants me to move out of the Zhai family’s house. Uncle Zhai, what should I do?”

  Old Zhai’s eyes widened. “Who? What did Qi Minlan say?”

  “That can’t be. Miao Miao, is this a misunderstanding?”

  She was a child whom Grandma Zhai had doted on for years, and Grandma Zhai didn’t want to believe that Qi Minlan was as demanding and arrogant as Miao Jing was describing her to be.

  Feeling Grandma Zhai trying to protect Qi Minlan, Miao Jing was no longer willing to speak any further.

  Miao Jing could feel the Zhai family’s attitude toward Qi Minlan.

  Zhai Yaohui’s gaze toward Qi Minlan was the same as that toward her. They were both his younger sisters.

  Uncle Zhai clearly liked her more while Auntie Zhai liked Qi Minlan more.

  No wonder Qi Minlan dared to say that she was Zhai Yaohui’s fiancée and that the elders had already approved of it.

  Since that was the case, Miao Jing wasn’t going to be such a shameless person.

  The future daughter-in-law of the Zhai family, Qi Minlan, had already clearly expressed her dislike and unwillingness to see her.

  Actually, she could understand Qi Minlan’s mindset. She had spent the Zhai family’s money, which would eventually be Qi Minlan’s. It was only right for her to be upset.

  She had been staying here for almost a year and was almost completely literate. It was time for her to get a job to support herself.

  Miao Jing looked at Grandma Zhai and smiled. “Perhaps it was really a misunderstanding. Uncle Zhai, I’m almost done with the courses you applied for on my behalf. I think that I’m ready to get a job.”

  \r \r \r

  “It’s hard work to take on a job…” There wouldn’t be a need for Miao Miao to work and earn her keep once she married Yaohui.

  Grandma Zhai agreed. “Miao Miao…”

  Miao Jing insisted. “No, the reason I wanted to be literate was so that I could get a job and support myself. Compared to the past, I think I’m in a much better place to find a good job now. Uncle Zhai, thank you for giving me such a good opportunity. I’m returning to my room to study so that I can get ready to look for a job tomorrow. Auntie Zhai, I’ll return to my room.”

  “Miao Miao…”

  Grandma Zhai felt the distance in Miao Jing’s words and felt particularly uneasy. “Old Zhai, I didn’t mean anything else. I just think that Minlan is a good girl and wouldn’t do such a thing.”

  Old Zhai huffed. “That’s what you think, but isn’t that like saying that Miao Miao lied to us?”

  “Then, isn’t that a misunderstanding?”

  Old Zhai shook her head. “You’ve always thought that Qi Minlan is good, but I’ve never thought so. That girl puts on an act in front of you, but she knows many other boys too. Although she’s never crossed that line, she’s had many ambiguous relationships and her heart isn’t for Yaohui.”

  If Qi Minlan was really a good girl, he would definitely hope that his son would marry her and live a blissful life together in the future.

  “That’s impossible. Minlan isn’t that kind of girl.”

  Old Zhai laughed out of anger. “So, you think that I’m someone who’ll try to ruin the reputation of a child?”

  There were some things he didn’t want to mention for fear of upsetting his wife.

  Since his wife liked Qi Minlan, he would simply play along. Anyway, Qi Minlan hadn’t coaxed his wife for nothing. That boy from the Shi family had also benefited from him.

  Since it benefitted all of them, no one owed each other anything. There was no need to repay anyone.

  Grandma Zhai hit Old Zhai. “You know that’s not what I meant. How could I trust an outsider more than my husband?”

  “But that’s exactly what you meant. I can understand Miao Miao’s attitude. I think that Miao Miao told the truth. Your reaction made Miao Miao believe that you acknowledge that Miao Miao is Yaohui’s fiancée. Qi Minlan already said that she doesn’t want to see Miao Miao in our house. Given Miao Miao’s personality, do you think she’ll stay on for much longer?”

  “Is that why Miao Miao is in a hurry to get a job?”

  “If she doesn’t get a job, how will she have the money to move out?”

  Miao Miao had always been sensitive but independent. It was hard not to be that way considering she had grown up in such circumstances.

  “Do you remember the accounts book in Miao Miao’s room?”

  “Yes.” Grandma Zhai had unwittingly come across it while cleaning Miao Jing’s room one day.

  That book clearly recorded how much she had spent in the Zhai family over the past year.

  “Once Miao Miao starts working, we’ll start receiving money from Miao Miao from time to time.”

  Miao Miao had no parents, and even after coming to the Zhai family’s house, she had never felt secure and neither had she ever dared to take their words at surface level. She had taken great care to protect herself.

  Now, Qi Minlan’s appearance had probably confirmed Miao Miao’s thoughts.

  Grandma Zhai felt upset and aggrieved. “But I treat Miao Miao pretty well. Why…”

  “Because she doesn’t have any parents or relatives she can rely on. She has only herself. If she doesn’t try to protect herself, how else will she survive in this world? It’s good for her to do so. She might very well have been ‘sold off’ by her second auntie if I hadn’t picked her up.”

  And the reason Miao Jing didn’t have any parents and had such a sensitive and independent personality was due to Father Miao saving Old Zhai twice.

  Only if Grandma Zhai thought that Father Miao deserved to die for saving Old Zhai and that his death had nothing to do with the Zhai family did she have the right to say that Miao Jing’s personality was bad.

  But Grandma Zhai was not such a person. “Old Zhai, what should I do? Miao Miao must be angry at me. You know that Miao Miao is much more important than Minlan in my heart. I acknowledge Miao Miao. I just think that Minlan is a child too…”

  Grandma Zhai was laden with guilt.

  It was because of Old Zhai that Miao Jing had become an orphan, and yet, she had been lamenting about Miao Jing’s personality. She couldn’t be so shameless! “Why don’t I apologize to Miao Miao and explain the situation to her? I really like Miao Miao!”

  Over the past year, she had already identified Miao Miao as her daughter-in-law.

  But why had today’s incident happened? And she had even hurt Miao Miao!

  Old Zhai hugged Grandma Zhai. “Don’t be in such a hurry. Miao Miao won’t listen to you no matter what you tell her now. The way I see it, we’d better let Yaohui settle the matter. Miao Miao is his wife, not ours. It wasn’t good for Qi Minlan to act like that today, but it should be Yaohui getting justice for Miao Miao.”

  After all, the root of the problem was Qi Minlan, and Qi Minlan was to be blamed for it all.