Chapter 14: Drugged, where is your face?

At this moment, Ye Yunzhou deeply regretted not trying harder to get money from his mother and instead taking the risk of borrowing from Zhao Bing.

He clearly knew Zhao Bing was with the commander, and the commander knew about his relationship with Zheng Qingning. If the commander found out about the loan, he would surely uncover the wedding plan.

And then, his plan to bring Jiaojiao into the military family life…

Seeing Ye Yunzhou remain silent, Zhao Bing, worried he might offend the commander, nudged him.

“What are you thinking? Don’t tell me you really don’t want us visiting your mother?”

Ye Yunzhou’s expression was grim, and he kept his head down in silence.

Noticing his silence, Zhao Bing sensed something was off and frowned. “Yunzhou, is your mother really sick?”

Nangong Ye gave Ye Yunzhou a cold glance. “Looks like you didn’t take a single word I said to you seriously.”

With that, Nangong Ye walked into the guesthouse.

Seeing the commander seemingly angry, Zhao Bing turned to the silent Ye Yunzhou.

“Yunzhou, we’re brothers. If you’re in trouble, don’t keep it to yourself. Say it maybe I can help.”

“You know the commander’s temper. If he finds out you crossed a line, do you realize what consequences you’ll face?”

“I heard you’re about to get promoted. Especially at a time like this, you can’t afford to make a dumb mistake.”

Ye Yunzhou, still looking down, gripped the money Zhao Bing gave him. “It’s nothing. Thanks for the loan.”

Then he turned and left in long strides.

Zhao Bing, who had wanted to find out what happened, just watched Ye Yunzhou leave. Only after his figure disappeared did he head back to the guesthouse.

Penniless, what national restaurant could he afford? Right now, he just wanted to figure out what Ye Yunzhou was hiding.

In the military housing compound…

On her way home from work, Zheng’s mother bought a portion of braised pork from the state-run restaurant. Passing by the supply store, she gritted her teeth and bought a few bottles of soda.

Back at the compound, when faced with curious neighbors, she raised her food container and sodas with a helpless expression.

“Ever since Qingning got engaged to Yunzhou, her temper’s gotten worse. She’s paranoid and hysterical at home, accusing us of favoring Jiaojiao.”

She wiped the corners of her eyes and choked up. “These days, what girl doesn’t help out at home? And if it weren’t for how we raised her, would she have caught the eye of someone like Yunzhou?”

She tearfully complained about how ungrateful Zheng Qingning had become.

The neighbors who once felt sorry for Qingning started to speak against her.

“Parents are never wrong. Just raising her is a debt she can never repay.”

“Even fingers aren’t all the same length how can kids be?”

“I think she thought marrying Yunzhou would make her an officer’s wife, and now she’s all high and mighty, doesn’t even respect her parents anymore.”

“Come on, everyone knows what the Ye family is like. Qingning isn’t stupid. Marrying Yunzhou? Forget about being a military wife, she won’t even have freedom to go out.”

“I’m just saying, Qingning may be your own flesh and blood, but you can’t throw her into the fire just for some small benefits.”

“Zhang Aunty, that’s not fair. How is marrying Yunzhou a fire pit?”

“Then why didn’t you marry your daughter to Yunzhou? I remember the Ye family sent a matchmaker to your place just last year.”

The aunt who still sympathized with Qingning silenced those siding with her mother.

Zheng’s mother was both angry and annoyed. Just when she had managed to regain a little face, these women messed it up again.

Full of resentment, she returned home and, seeing the cold stove and untouched kitchen, began banging pots and pans. Her eyes repeatedly glanced at Qingning’s closed door her gaze was sharp and malicious.

Inside her room, after training in her space and doing a full-body beauty routine, Zheng Qingning drank a bowl of nourishing chicken soup.

She had discovered that no matter how much she used up in the space, everything was replenished by the next day.

So she no longer skimped on ingredients.

Right now, her top priority was regaining her health.

After finishing the soup and dancing through a full routine, she finally left the space.

Just then, there was a knock at her door.

“Qingning, come out and eat,” her mother’s voice called from outside.

Zheng Qingning adjusted her clothes and, seeing no signs of anything amiss, opened the door and stepped out.

She saw bottles of soda on the table only the one at her seat had been opened. Narrowing her eyes, she walked over and opened every bottle on the table.

Then her mother arrived with Jiaojiao. After being turned away by Qingning at noon, Jiaojiao had gone to rest in her brothers’ room and was still upset with their father.

“Mom, help me talk to Dad. I really want to marry Brother Ye.”

Zheng Qingning let out a cold laugh. “Saying you want to marry my fiancé right in front of me Zheng Jiaojiao, where is your shame?”

Zheng Jiaojiao glared at her. “Do you really think you’re worthy of marrying Brother Ye? Only I deserve to be his wife!”

Their mother quickly jumped in, “Alright, alright, what kind of talk is that between sisters over a man?”

As she spoke, she secretly pinched Jiaojiao.

“Besides, Yunzhou is going to hold the banquet with Qingning the day after tomorrow. He’ll be your brother-in-law stop thinking about nonsense and sit down to eat.”

She gave Jiaojiao a look that Qingning couldn’t see, signaling her to calm down so she wouldn’t ruin tonight’s plan.

Jiaojiao scowled at Qingning and reluctantly sat down.

Just then, their father came home, and their mother quickly called him to dinner.

As she picked up her chopsticks to grab food, she noticed the opened soda in front of her and gave a small frown, glancing at Qingning’s soda suspiciously.

Then she saw Jiaojiao already drinking from hers.

Still unsure but saying nothing, she continued eating while mentally planning for the arrival of the crippled old man later.

Zheng Qingning focused on the only meat dish at the table, even though she was already full from the chicken soup.

Jiaojiao wasn’t as quick and only got two pieces of meat.

Their father, considering himself the head of the family, always expected to get the best food first. After tasting one piece of the braised pork, he went for more only to find the bowl empty.

Looking at Qingning’s bowl, which was piled high with meat, his face darkened with anger. He was about to scold her but remembered the plan and swallowed his rage.

Their mother, who also didn’t get any meat, slammed her chopsticks down and reached to twist Qingning’s ear.

“Greedy little wretch! Didn’t you see your father hasn’t eaten yet?”

Qingning dodged, stood up with her rice bowl, and glared at her mother. “Didn’t you tell the neighbors this braised pork was bought for me? What’s wrong with me eating a few extra pieces?”

She had seen the text in her space earlier her mother had indeed said the meat was for her.

If it was bought for her, of course she would eat it all.