Chapter 8

Mrs. Qiao’s heart was filled with intense hatred.

She hated herself for misjudging people, for not trusting her husband enough, and for being so stupid as to dance with wolves!

Qiao Zhongguo, upon hearing this, became greatly anxious.

Such a wolf must not be allowed to appear by his wife’s side, or in the Qiao residence!

But since nothing had happened yet, abruptly cutting off relations would be too abrupt and could arouse suspicion, especially considering the close ties between the two families.

Mrs. Qiao was much more sensitive than Qiao Zhongguo when it came to matters in the inner courtyard.

Such a brother and sister-in-law absolutely could not continue to interact as they did in the past, otherwise they would surely harm the entire Qiao family again!

Furthermore, she must make her father properly manage and correct her brother. How could he lay hands on his own younger sister and brother-in-law for such a trivial gain!

Mrs. Qiao was in extreme pain at this moment, but she still suppressed her sadness and said, “Husband, if I clearly refuse the marriage between the eldest and Ning’er tomorrow, I’m afraid it will upset my brother and sister-in-law.”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhongguo’s eyes lit up. Yes! This was a great pretext!

So he immediately spoke up in support, “My dear, the eldest son is too reserved, and Ning’er is also quite stubborn. The two of them are not a good match. If we drag this on, it will be bad for Ning’er.”

“Let’s just make the decision first. If there’s anything inappropriate, I’ll personally go to apologize another day.”

Of course, he wouldn’t go unless it was to see his father-in-law. Otherwise, forget about it!

Mrs. Qiao made a firm decision and nodded heavily.

When Jiaojiao heard this, she cheered inwardly.

[Great! It’s best to offend them thoroughly tomorrow, and then never have any contact again!]

[Aunt is not a good person, and Uncle is really despicable. He even took my second brother to those kinds of places!]

Mrs. Qiao’s sleeve suddenly clenched, and she was instantly furious.

How could the eldest brother… how could he take the second brother to such a place!

Qiao Zhongguo’s expression slightly darkened. Very well, it seemed there were matters to attend to with the second brother as well.

He’ll be forbidden from going near those brothels in the future!

“All right, my dear, don’t worry too much. Everything is in my hands. Tonight, I’ll stay here. Is that all right?”

Mrs. Qiao, who had just felt a headache, blushed with embarrassment.

She gently pushed him away and scolded, “What nonsense are you talking about? Jiaojiao is still here, and I… I’m not feeling well.”

Qiao Zhongguo lightly flicked Mrs. Qiao’s forehead, smiling helplessly, “Silly woman, what are you thinking about? I’m worried that you’ll be too tired to get up at night, so I want to share the burden with you.”

Mrs. Qiao realized she had misunderstood and her face grew even redder.

Who asked him to keep teasing her all the time? Otherwise, she wouldn’t have overthought it…

“You have to go to court tomorrow morning, don’t you? You’re afraid of tiring yourself out.”

Qiao Zhongguo shook his head lightly, looking relaxed, “When I was fighting in the northern lands back then, I didn’t sleep for three days and nights. My dear thinks I’m getting old and useless?”

“Don’t be so cheeky!” Mrs. Qiao playfully punched her husband’s shoulder.

Jiaojiao was almost going crazy!

[Ah! What kind of divine parents are these! Mutual support, inseparable, so sweet!]

Both husband and wife, upon hearing this noisy exclamation, froze at the same time, their faces turning bright red.

They had forgotten that there was still a little devil in the bed!

That night, Qiao Zhongguo stayed as he wished.

He lay obediently on the outer side, and whenever Mrs. Qiao got up at night, he would immediately sit up and help out.

The next morning, as soon as the hour arrived, he quietly got up, washed up, and went to court.

Mrs. Qiao’s heart was both at ease and full of sweetness. She had a great night’s rest, and her complexion had improved significantly.

Around noon, Aunt Liu led Mrs. Zuo into the room.

Mrs. Qiao, without makeup, was sitting on the bed, holding a cloth doll to comfort Qiao Jiaojiao.

Although Jiaojiao no longer liked such childish things, she still waved her arms to amuse Mrs. Qiao.

When Mrs. Zuo entered the room, she saw this heartwarming scene.

Her gaze swept over Mrs. Qiao’s face, secretly gritting her teeth.

Others would look haggard and unwell after giving birth, but Mrs. Qiao seemed even more radiant and unaffected.

“Sister, I’ve come to see you! Look at you, others look like they’ve been through the gates of hell, but you seem to have taken a stroll in the Peach Garden of Heaven and become even more beautiful.”

Although her words sounded a bit sarcastic, Mrs. Qiao smiled warmly, showing no signs of offense.

In the past, Mrs. Qiao wouldn’t have minded such comments, but now that she knew Mrs. Zuo’s malicious intentions, she felt pierced by every word.

Jiaojiao was infuriated.

[You just took a stroll through the gates of hell, your whole family… Wait, did I just include my mother and grandfather in the curse?]

[Hmph! Talk without restraint! Talk without restraint!]

Mrs. Qiao couldn’t help but chuckle at this, her face showing a smile.

Mrs. Zuo had just felt that Mrs. Qiao was acting a bit strangely, as if she wasn’t as warm towards her as before, but this smile dispelled her doubts.

“Oh, is this my darling niece? Let Auntie take a look. What kind of celestial beauty is she!”

Mrs. Qiao immediately lifted Jiaojiao up, and even when Mrs. Zuo pretended to reach out to hold her, she didn’t let go.

Jiaojiao widened her eyes and took in Mrs. Zuo’s appearance.

It was clear that Mrs. Zuo was a stunning beauty when she was young, and even now, she still retained her charm.

But perhaps due to worries about her son, she had gained a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and had a sharpness between her eyebrows, indicating that things hadn’t been smooth sailing for her.

Seeing Mrs. Qiao protectively holding her child, Mrs. Zuo sneered, “What’s wrong? Afraid I’ll eat your precious Jiaojiao?”

Mrs. Qiao shook her head lightly. “Jiaojiao knows people.”

Mrs. Zuo laughed upon hearing this. “Sister, she’s just a few days old. How can she recognize anyone?”

As she reached out, Jiaojiao timely started crying loudly.

[Hmph, malicious woman, I won’t let you hold me! I won’t let you hold me!]

Seeing Jiaojiao crying, Mrs. Zuo quickly withdrew her hand.

She actually didn’t like children. After giving birth, she visibly aged a lot.

She only pretended to want to hold the baby to save face.

Mrs. Zuo was about to sit on the edge of the bed when Aunt Liu quickly brought over a chair.

“Madam, please sit here, it’s more comfortable.”

Mrs. Zuo sat down and began lecturing in the manner of an experienced person.

“Sister, not to criticize you, but after a woman has a child, she can’t neglect her husband.”

“Men are most prone to getting tired of old things and seeking new ones. If you don’t pay attention, be careful he cheats on you outside!”

Jiaojiao felt like rolling her eyes.

[Here it comes! If she’s not happy, she wants to poison others’ ears! But my parents are happy! They even slept together last night!]

After Mrs. Qiao’s reflection last night prompted by Jiaojiao’s reminder, she was no longer influenced by Mrs. Zuo.

She suddenly lowered her head, blushing slightly, and said, “Sister, my husband won’t. He stayed here last night.”

Mrs. Zuo suddenly raised her head, unable to hide her surprise.