“Take my seal and go to the office to collect it.” Seeing her concern, Zhao Jingyu cleared his throat lightly. “The seal is in the drawer.”
Xu Qingning hummed in acknowledgment and casually asked, “You’ll be gone for over half a year. Aren’t you afraid I’ll run off with your money?”
Since she couldn’t sleep anyway, chatting wouldn’t hurt!
After all, he was supporting her now, and maintaining a good relationship between the client and the contractor was important.
“Jiaodong County is only so big. Where could you possibly run to?” Zhao Jingyu turned his head to glance at her, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth. “Judging by your temperament, you wouldn’t run.”
“What temperament? Do you really know me that well?” Xu Qingning grew interested, rolling over to face him. In the hazy moonlight, she couldn’t clearly see his face.
Zhao Jingyu was the villain, not a plot device.
His character had been fleshed out by the author—full of depth, thought, and responsibility. She was curious about how he perceived her.
“When you came looking for me, you made it very clear: you wanted me to help you raise the child together. If you ran away, who would you find to raise the child?” Zhao Jingyu lowered his head, meeting her gaze. “Don’t worry, I keep my word. Whether we end up as husband and wife or not in the future, as long as it’s my child, I will take full responsibility.”
“You can rest assured too—the child is one hundred percent yours.” Xu Qingning said with complete composure. “I’m not a frivolous woman. Besides you, I’ve never been with any other man.”
If he had doubts, that was his business. As long as her conscience was clear, it was fine.
Anyway, she would leave him in three years to live her own life.
To survive in this cold, indifferent supporting character world, she had to work hard, save money, and build a nest egg over the next three years. Only with money would she have a sense of security!
“I believe you.” Zhao Jingyu knew her heart was entirely set on Xiao Tingshen; she wouldn’t have any involvement with other men. That night she lost her innocence to him was also due to Tang Wenya’s schemes and traps.
He wanted to say more but noticed Xu Qingning had already fallen asleep. Her delicate face was half-buried under the quilt, her breathing soft and shallow. However, her sleeping posture was far from ideal—one foot had actually kicked its way into his covers.
Feeling the warmth of her skin against his, he felt somewhat at a loss. He simply turned over, facing away from her. This woman was much easier to get along with than he had imagined—as long as she got money, she was happy.
And for now, all he could give her was money.
Thinking of the child she carried in her womb, a complex, indescribable feeling stirred in his heart. He couldn’t help but turn back to look at her.
The sleeping woman appeared frail and petite, seemingly delicate and vulnerable. Yet it was this very fragile frame that was willing to bear a tarnished reputation and give birth to this child.
He could imagine how terrified she must have been after that night—too scared to tell her parents, unsure of what to do.
It wasn’t until she noticed changes in her body that she mustered the courage to come find him… With a father who didn’t love her and a stepmother who didn’t care, her situation at home was undoubtedly difficult.
Next door, the elderly couple was also wide awake, whispering about the evening’s events. Yang Yuelan, being thoughtful and observant, could tell Xu Qingning had a hard time in her maternal home: “Tonight, Qingning’s stepmother came specifically to demand the bride price. Even after learning Qingning was pregnant, she didn’t ask how her appetite was. A stepmother is just a stepmother.”
Although Xu Qingning had eaten a bowl of dumplings, her appetite was clearly poor, and she retched from time to time.
As her mother-in-law, seeing this broke Yang Yuelan’s heart.
“I don’t think her father treats her well either. When his own daughter ends up in such a situation, instead of quickly arranging the wedding, he actually makes things difficult for Jingyu.” Zhao Futang also felt that Xu Jianguo and his wife were being unreasonable. “Fortunately, our daughter-in-law is sensible. She kept the betrothal gifts herself, didn’t ask for a dowry, and as long as she’s someone who knows how to live properly, we’ll do our best to support her.”
Before, Zhao Jingyu only had to worry about feeding himself, so they weren’t needed.
Now he has a wife and a child on the way, and he’ll be away for over half a year at a time—this is exactly when he needs his parents’ support.
“After the wedding banquet tomorrow, I’ll go back with you to get things settled, then I’ll move here to stay with Qingning. Once Jingyu goes out to sea, I won’t feel at ease leaving her alone here.” Yang Yuelan had only brought some fruits, vegetables, and a change of clothes with her this time, nothing else.
Mainly because Xu Qingning was willing to be close to her, calling her “Mom” so sweetly that it made her feel comfortable.
She was more than happy to come and take care of her daughter-in-law.
“If you want to come, then come. I have no objections.” Zhao Futang agreed wholeheartedly. “Anyway, our two grandsons are almost ready for elementary school. They can take care of themselves, so we won’t be needed.”
He could cook, clean, and was in good health. As an old married couple, there wasn’t much they couldn’t handle apart.
Besides, he knew that Yang Yuelan had always wanted to be closer to their son but never had the chance.
Now was a perfect opportunity.
“Alright, then it’s settled.” Yang Yuelan glanced around the room. “Once I move here, I’ll tidy things up properly for them. We can remove the bed in this room and build a heated brick bed. With a child on the way, it’ll be much warmer on the kang.”
“As long as our daughter-in-law agrees.” Zhao Futang knew Yang Yuelan meant well but reminded her, “Remember, this is our son and daughter-in-law’s home. Don’t make decisions on your own.”
“I know.” Yang Yuelan nodded. “It’s not my first time being a mother-in-law. I know my boundaries. I’ll do my part, and whether they appreciate it or not is up to them. Let’s get some sleep early. Tomorrow, the families of our eldest and second sons will be here. There’s no place for them to stay, so they’ll have to go back the same day. It’ll be another busy and chaotic day.”
“Anyway, it’s just a two-hour drive, not too far.” Zhao Futang was also tired, yawning as he spoke. “Let’s sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow.”
Xu Jianguo was on the night shift, while Jiang Yumei and Tang Wenya were discussing their visit to Zhao Jingyu’s house that evening: “Zhao Jingyu’s parents originally worked in the city too. Not long after Zhao Jingyu’s two older brothers went to the countryside, they got married locally and never returned to the city. The old couple followed them to the countryside to help take care of their children, and they’ve been there for about seven or eight years. Honestly, their family is just a bunch of country bumpkins.”
“If they’re country bumpkins, why was Zhao Jingyu so generous, able to give such a large betrothal gift?” Tang Wenya had been puzzled by this question. Because of this matter, Xiao Tingshen’s parents had misunderstood her and her mother, even thinking they were deliberately trying to embarrass them.
Fortunately, Xiao Tingshen believed her and spent a long time explaining on her behalf. Only then did his parents believe that the betrothal gift incident was truly a coincidence.
“It must be Zhao Jingyu’s own money. Don’t forget that sailors’ wages aren’t low—forty or fifty a month, plus all kinds of benefits and subsidies. And let’s not forget, as a troublemaker, finding a wife isn’t that easy for him. Who would want to marry someone like him?” Jiang Yumei also got angry at the mention of this. What good was it that Zhao Jingyu gave such a generous bride price? In the end, it didn’t even end up in her hands.
The System promptly spoke up: “Zhao Jingyu’s grandmother had money. On her deathbed, she left a message for Xu Qingning’s mother-in-law, saying that the gold bracelets and gold necklace she left behind, along with a few pieces of jade and gemstones, were all for Xu Qingning.”
“Gold bracelets and a gold necklace?” Tang Wenya exclaimed, “Really?”
The System: “Truer than true gold.”
“She had been married for less than a day, and her mother-in-law already gave them to her?” Tang Wenya was astonished.
The System: “Xu Qingning has a sweet mouth. As soon as she met Zhao Jingyu’s parents, she called them Mom and Dad. The old couple liked her very much, so her mother-in-law gave her the gold bracelets and necklace.”
Tang Wenya: “…”
It seemed Zhao Jingyu’s parents weren’t very smart either—just a few words of “Mom and Dad” and they entrusted her with such valuable things?
Xu Qingning was lazy and greedy—she would definitely sell the gold bracelets and necklace for money.
“Yaya, do you think we should go to the wedding banquet tomorrow?” Jiang Yumei noticed Tang Wenya had fallen silent while talking and nudged her arm. “I heard Zhao Jingyu invited everyone in their compound. He and Xiao Tingshen have always been on good terms, and since they live in the same compound, he’s sure to invite him too.”
“Go, why wouldn’t we go?” Tang Wenya finally tuned out the System. She really wanted to see how well Xu Qingning’s in-laws treated her. More importantly, she could legitimately see Xiao Tingshen.
Xiao Tingshen’s father had also gone to sea a couple of years ago. After getting older, he worked in the logistics department of the ocean shipping company. Their family also lived in the company’s compound.
Their compound was quite large, housing over thirty households, almost like a small village.
It was just that Zhao Jingyu’s dormitory was relatively remote, right against the western wall, separated from Xiao Tingshen’s house by more than a dozen households.
“Alright, then let’s go together tomorrow.” Jiang Yumei actually didn’t want to go, but if she didn’t, the Xiao family might think she was mistreating Xu Qingning by not even attending the wedding. She didn’t want to earn such a reputation.