Chapter 19 Qian Ertian Wants to Take Back the House!

And then he glanced suspiciously at Qianqian’s belly: “Does she really have their baby already?”

If Zhao Qianqian had heard this, she would have scoffed: “We’ve barely been married a month—how could there be a child already?”

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The Qian Family.

After losing face against Zhao Mother at the dinner table that day, Qian Ertian was determined to marry his fiancée as soon as possible.

After all, no one fought women better than women!

And Qian Sanya, freshly reborn, had been whispering poison in his ear, claiming that Zhao Mother managed to save at least ten yuan every month, sometimes even fifteen.

She wanted her second brother to be the bad guy first, to make a move against Zhao Mother.

Because at this point, Old Qian still thought well of Zhao Mother.

Even most of the family favored Zhao Saihua, the gentle stepmother.

So Qian Sanya didn’t want to be the one to strike first.

With her constant goading, Qian Ertian became fixated on Zhao Mother’s thirty-five yuan monthly allowance.

But seizing control of it wouldn’t be easy.

The temptation was huge—thirty-five yuan every month! If handled right, he could pocket more than ten yuan of private savings.

In those days, ten yuan of private money was extraordinary.

After all, his own job as a temp worker only paid fifteen yuan a month.

A whole month’s wages! Who wouldn’t be tempted?

Still, taking authority from Zhao Mother would not be simple.

First, Zhao Mother was too well-liked. Trying to push her aside would risk harsh criticism, even open hostility.

Second, while Old Qian leaned toward his children, he also wanted to maintain harmony on the surface.

Unless Zhao Mother willingly handed over control, or things escalated into open conflict, Old Qian himself would be the first to shut them down.

What’s more, his sister-in-law was loyal to Zhao Mother—she owed her marriage to Zhao’s matchmaking. If he fought for control of the kitchen, he’d have to fight his sister-in-law too.

But for thirty-five yuan a month, Qian Ertian was willing to risk it all.

Even if it tore apart the harmony of the household.

Because—who could resist money?

His only true ally, the one who would never betray him, was his fiancée Xia Lan.

In his heart, neither his father nor his siblings mattered as much as his bride-to-be.

If Old Qian could hear this, he’d surely collapse—this was his favorite son!

Qian Ertian knew he couldn’t do it alone.

He needed his fiancée’s city-bred cunning to outmatch Zhao Mother.

For years, outsiders had praised Zhao as the perfect stepmother, thoughtful and kind. Even most of the family spoke well of her.

But Qian Ertian saw things differently.

Yes, Zhao hadn’t taken any property. But she had Old Qian raising her three children and still managed to pocket at least five yuan every month.

Didn’t that mean she had it all?

And strangely enough, Qian Sanya had once been very close to Zhao.

No matter the dispute, she had always sided with her.

But lately? She often came to him instead, whispering:

“Second Brother, Zhao Mother saves at least ten yuan a month. Once, I even saw her with fifteen left over.”

Fifteen yuan? That much?

His desire to seize control grew even stronger.

If his once-loyal sister said it, it must be true.

Had she finally seen through Zhao’s disguise, just like he had?

Or perhaps her hatred for Zhao Qianqian, who had stolen her fiancé, had turned into hatred for Zhao Mother as well.

Either way, he believed his own judgment.

Even if the savings weren’t always ten yuan, there had to be five at least.

Five yuan a month—sixty a year.

And Zhao had been in their family for over ten years.

That meant she might have tucked away six hundred yuan or more.

Six hundred yuan!

Not much in Qianzhuang itself, but outside the village, it was a fortune.

If Zhao had stayed in her home village, she would never have earned so much in her lifetime.

So what right did she have to act like a victim every day?

In truth, Zhao Saihua hadn’t profited much at all. She had been a far better stepmother than most.

But nobody was perfect.

And Qian Ertian couldn’t stomach her innocent act, her quiet way of siphoning money from the family.

Because the Qian family’s wealth was his share too!

He was Old Qian’s most favored son.

But selfishness had no limits.

Even as the favored son, he wanted more.

So he pushed to marry his fiancée quickly. Once she entered the household, he wanted to see if Zhao Mother could still hold her ground.

Old Qian, who longed for grandchildren, had already agreed to the marriage.

But before the wedding could even happen, trouble struck.

While preparations were underway, Qian Ertian rushed to his father, face full of anxiety:

“Father, you must help me! My fiancée is from the city, and she insists on reclaiming the two rooms that were set aside as our marital home!”

“All the houses are under your name anyway—it’s only others temporarily living there.”

“Father, my wife-to-be says she can’t stand sharing rooms with others. As for Zhao’s eldest and second sons, they can squeeze together in one room for now. After all, they’ll have to move out and start their own households sooner or later.”

Saying this, he gazed at his father with desperate hope.

Old Qian, however, hesitated.

He neither agreed outright nor refused him.