Chapter 36

“This is your business,” Chen Yubing replied coldly. “Starting tomorrow, you can just treat me as your landlord. Since the day we got married, Qiao Laiwang never once treated me like his wife.”

“What landlord? My son owns part of this house too! The factory wasn’t given to you alone!” Chen Ju immediately retorted.

Chen Yubing scoffed, “Am I charging you rent?”

Seeing Chen Ju and Qiao Laiwang about to argue more, Qiao Xinyi kicked a shard of broken glass at Qiao Laiwang’s feet.

“Did I say you could keep talking? Is the floor cleaned?” Chen Ju was furious. She threw the rag on the chair and slammed the door, retreating to her room.

Qiao Laiwang sulked alone, tidying up the messy living room. After washing and hanging the mop on the balcony, Qiao Xinyi called him back inside.

“I’m so angry my head hurts. I won’t go back to my place tonight—I’ll stay here,” Qiao Xinyi said. “You sleep on the floor in Yunbai’s room tonight, Baihe will sleep in the same room as my mom, and I’ll sleep alone in the living room.”

“You unfilial daughter! You’re making your dad sleep on the floor!” Chen Ju suddenly opened the door and scolded her.

Qiao Xinyi replied, “I’m the patient. The doctor said I need to rest. If I sleep with others, they’ll disturb me. So why don’t you let Dad sleep in the living room, and my mom and Baihe sleep with you? I’ll sleep in my mom’s room.”

Chen Ju slammed the door shut with a bang and ignored her.

“Are you really sleeping here tonight?” Chen Yubing knew Qiao Xinyi was quite picky, so she didn’t suggest Qiao Xinyi share a room with her. Instead, she said, “If you’re not going back, you should let the Li family know. Otherwise, they’ll worry if you don’t return.”

“I’m going to borrow a bike from Aunt Zhang later, go back for a bit, handle some things, and bring some clothes to change,” Qiao Xinyi said, slinging her bag and heading next door.

Aunt Zhang’s family had already finished dinner, and when they saw Qiao Xinyi, naturally they started chatting. Qiao Xinyi answered every question sincerely, showing she regarded Aunt Zhang as one of her own—there was nothing she wouldn’t say.

Aunt Zhang handed Qiao Xinyi the bike keys while cursing Qiao Yougen and his siblings for being ungrateful and worse than animals. As Qiao Xinyi rode the bike out of the residential compound, Aunt Zhang spread the news of the Qiao family’s evening drama.

Chen Ju had originally wanted to go out and chat with some old friends, to vent about the grievances she’d suffered at home tonight and to get help cursing Qiao Xinyi and the daughter-in-law. But after wandering around, she found herself surrounded and stared at like a monkey in the zoo.

Grumbling, Chen Ju returned home, hands on hips, and vented at Chen Yubing.

“You gave birth to such a good daughter! But that mouth of hers can’t keep a secret! Does she have a screw loose? Doesn’t she understand that family shame shouldn’t be aired publicly? Can you teach her? If you can’t, I’ll teach her!”

Chen Yubing was making Qiao Xinyi’s bed. Hearing this, she pursed her lips and said, “Old lady, if you think you’re so capable of teaching, go ahead. I’m not stopping you.”

Chen Ju was momentarily speechless. She only said it casually—where would she dare to really teach her? She only dared say such things when Qiao Xinyi wasn’t home, because she was afraid that if Qiao Xinyi was present, she’d slap her in the face.

“Look at her, acting all dead inside, yet she’s riding the bike all over the place. Does she look like she’s sick to you?” Chen Ju found another thing to scold. “I think she just can’t stand this family being peaceful. You tell me—isn’t this family a mess ever since that lowlife Qiao Xinyi came back?”

“Xinyi is not a lowlife,” Qiao Baihe took her pillow into her room but overheard that and immediately spoke up, “She’s very good.”

Qiao Yunbai snorted, “When my big sister comes back, I’ll tell her you called her a lowlife behind her back.”

Chen Ju glared at the two, “Just a few days and she’s already corrupting you!”

“Old lady, this family didn’t start getting messy when Xinyi came back. To put it earlier, the Qiao family has been a mess ever since you came into it. To put it later, ever since I had the bad luck to marry Qiao Laiwang, since this little family began, this house has been chaotic.”

“I was stupid before. I kept enduring everything for the sake of the kids. Only me and the kids were suffering, so the family kept a peaceful surface.”

“Xinyi came back and taught me that I can’t just keep swallowing my anger and feeling wronged for my kids. She taught me not to just stubbornly save face and suffer. Ever since I stopped taking losses, you and your son haven’t been comfortable, huh?”

“Old lady, you and Qiao Laiwang think this family’s been restless these days because you haven’t benefited. You’re unhappy. On the contrary, I think this family’s been quite peaceful. I haven’t let you take advantage anymore, and I even have a well-behaved and filial daughter now. I’m happy every single day.”

“If I weren’t reluctant to spend money on firecrackers, the first thing I’d do every morning is set off a string of firecrackers to celebrate my good mood.”

This was the lesson Chen Yubing was gradually learning from Qiao Xinyi: as long as you feel comfortable inside, you don’t have to care too much about saving face or giving others face. Her good daughter said, enduring too much can cause illness. A little endurance can lead to mammary gland hyperplasia; years of endurance can make you sick—too costly.

Chen Yubing glanced at Qiao Laiwang sitting silently nearby. “Old lady, if you don’t believe me, ask Qiao Laiwang. Think about his salary—does he feel at ease inside?”

These days, Chen Yubing no longer called her mom “Mom,” nor “old lady.” So she just called her “Old Lady.”

“…” Qiao Laiwang was speechless for a while, frowning. “Why drag me into your quarrel?” His mood was already bad, and hearing about the salary made it worse.

Qiao Xinyi went out for an hour and came back carrying several bottles of iced soda. When returning the bike, she gave Aunt Zhang two bottles, which made Aunt Zhang very happy. Aunt Zhang said Qiao Xinyi was too polite and told her to just say anytime she wanted to borrow the bike.

Chen Yubing heard their voices and came out to look. Aunt Zhang politely greeted her and complimented Qiao Xinyi a few times. Aunt Zhang had a loud voice, and the Qiao family’s front door was open, so Chen Ju inside could hear.

Chen Ju opened the door, walked out, and stood in the living room grumbling, “Wasteful little woman! A bottle of soda costs several dimes—does she just say ‘please’ and then it’s fine?”

“She’s not spending your money,” Qiao Xinyi came in and overheard this. She immediately fired back and then called Qiao Yunbai and Qiao Baihe to come out and drink soda.

Qiao Xinyi handed each of them a bottle. Chen Yubing grabbed a straw, and the four of them sat in the living room sipping.

Chen Ju and Qiao Laiwang—one stood at the door watching, the other sat across from the four watching.

“You selfish jerk, I wish you’d be stingy to death! I’m your grandma,” Chen Ju pointed at Qiao Laiwang. “He’s your dad! He and I are the eldest in this family, and you just let us watch you all drink?”

“This stuff’s really cold. You’re not young anymore. What if you drink it and choke to death? Wouldn’t that be unfilial of me?” Qiao Xinyi looked up at Qiao Laiwang. “As for him, wait a second—I’ll think up an excuse.”