“Dad, if you don’t agree, that’s your problem—I agree!” Xu Qingning said impatiently. She picked up the gift money box on the table, stuffed the cash into her own pocket, and said to Zhao Jingyu without batting an eye, “I’ll accept these betrothal gifts. First, have them carry the whole pigs and sheep from the hallway down to your car, then come back up to help me with my luggage.”
Since Xu Jianguo didn’t agree, of course he couldn’t accept these betrothal gifts!
Whole pigs and sheep cost a lot of money—wouldn’t it be better to keep them for herself to live on?
Why should they get the benefit?
“Xu Qingning, are you trying to drive me to my grave?” Xu Jianguo was practically fuming. How could she defy him alongside this good-for-nothing and marry herself off so recklessly?
After causing such a scandal, wasn’t he, as the father-in-law, allowed to give this troublemaker a hard time?
“Dad, it’s not me trying to drive you to your grave—it’s you making things difficult for me.” Xu Qingning tucked the money away with a clear conscience and retorted bluntly, “Both Tang Wenya and I are pregnant, so why do you only support her while forcing me to get an abortion? Since you’ve already disowned me as your daughter, why should I still acknowledge you as my father? I don’t have a father like you. From now on, I’ll make my own decisions.”
Tang Wenya, who had been watching the drama unfold, panicked when Xu Qingning named her: “You’re talking nonsense, I’m not—”
“Whether you are or not, you and Xiao Tingshen know the truth.” Xu Qingning couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. Tang Wenya was just being stubborn. Then, she turned to Zhao Jingyu again, “Go move the things from the hallway. Why haven’t you started yet?”
“Qingning, since the betrothal gifts have already been given, how can you take them back?” Jiang Yumei immediately spoke up when she heard Xu Qingning wanted to remove the items. “Your dad is just angry for the moment. He’ll agree.”
Just moments ago, she had been calculating how much money the pig and sheep could fetch—enough for their family to eat meat for over half a year. Now Xu Qingning wanted to take them away?
It made her heart ache.
“But Dad just said he doesn’t agree.” Xu Qingning looked at Jiang Yumei with practiced ease. “A man’s word is his bond—it can’t be like passing gas, saying whatever comes to mind, right?”
Jiang Yumei was momentarily speechless.
She glanced at Xu Jianguo, who was so angry his chest hurt. His face darkened as he remained silent. At this point, how could he possibly say he agreed?
The two young men looked at Zhao Jingyu, who said without hesitation, “Then carry them down!”
Xiao Tingshen and Tang Wenya exchanged glances, bewildered.
The two young men promptly went out the door and carried the whole pigs and sheep downstairs.
They soon returned and stood at the doorway, looking at Xu Qingning. Without hesitation, she pointed to the luggage she had packed the night before and the sewing machine: “Please help me carry these belongings and this sewing machine down to the car as well.”
It had to be said, Zhao Jingyu’s two friends were quite reliable.
Worth keeping around.
“Qingning, what are you doing?” Jiang Yumei grew even more frantic when she saw the sewing machine. Did this mean they not only missed out on the betrothal gifts but also had to part with a sewing machine?
“Come on, this is my mother’s sewing machine. Of course I’m taking it with me.” Xu Qingning pointed to her packed luggage. “These are my clothes and daily necessities. Do you want to open and inspect them too?”
“The sewing machine my sister used naturally belongs to Qingning.” Liang Yufeng stepped forward, speaking irritably to Jiang Yumei. “Shouldn’t it be left to her instead of you?”
“Qingning, that’s not what I meant. I meant that today isn’t the day for moving things. Even if your father agrees to your marriage, you can’t just leave like this.” Jiang Yumei glanced at Xu Jianguo and continued, “Marriage is a big matter. You need to pick an auspicious date and hold a wedding ceremony. You can’t just run off with him like this.”
“Auntie, it seems you didn’t listen to a single word Zhao Jingyu said. He only has three days—where would we find time for a wedding?” Xu Qingning didn’t care about any wedding at all. She looked up at Zhao Jingyu and said seriously, “I don’t need a wedding. You just focus on providing for the family.”
She and Zhao Jingyu had no real feelings for each other, so holding a wedding would be meaningless.
Weddings are for others to see; the life you live is your own.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep my word.” Zhao Jingyu met her gaze and waved his hand. “Carry it down!”
Tang Wenya seemed to realize something and hurried into the bedroom. Opening the wardrobe, she exclaimed, “Wait, Qingning, why did you take all my clothes too?”
Everyone turned to look at Xu Qingning, who smiled faintly and opened the bundle in front of everyone. “Tang Wenya, you’re so used to taking advantage that you’ve started treating the things you borrowed from me as your own. Tell me, which piece here is yours?”
“This red wool coat belongs to Wenya.” Jiang Yumei immediately recognized the red wool coat in the bundle.
Before Xu Qingning could speak, Liang Yufeng started cursing, “Bullshit! I bought the fabric for that wool coat and made it for Qingning myself. I noticed Qingning never wore it and asked her about it. She said Tang Wenya had borrowed it. So you borrow things and then claim them as your own?”
Tang Wenya flushed bright red. “What I meant was, Qingning shouldn’t have gone through my wardrobe without permission while I wasn’t here.”
That red wool coat was indeed borrowed from Xu Qingning.
But since it had been hanging in her wardrobe, Xu Qingning should have told her before taking it back.
“Why should I tell you when I’m taking back my own clothes?” Xu Qingning was exasperated. “Who do you think you are?”
Tang Wenya refused to give up. “Anyway, it’s wrong of you to rummage through my wardrobe without permission.”
Xiao Tingshen gave Tang Wenya a meaningful look. He had often seen her wearing that red wool coat and had even complimented her on how good she looked in red.
Who would have thought it was borrowed from Xu Qingning?
Of course, borrowing from Xu Qingning wasn’t a problem in itself, but treating it as her own was going too far.
Moreover, Tang Wenya often subtly belittled Xu Qingning in front of him, portraying her as utterly worthless.
While Xu Qingning was indeed foolish and annoying, constantly chasing after him and making him dislike her, it now seemed Tang Wenya wasn’t much nobler herself.
“If I’m one part wrong, you’re nine parts wrong.” Xu Qingning didn’t want to argue with her any further and said to the two young men, “Alright, carry it down.”
“Qingning, are you really leaving just like this?” Jiang Yumei was so angry she could barely speak, but in front of Xiao Tingshen, she still had to maintain her image. She said gently, “I think we should sit down and have a proper talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” Xu Qingning flatly refused.
She had originally intended to ask Xu Jianguo for the household register.
But then she remembered that her household registration was a collective one, not kept at home. When it came time to register the marriage, she could simply get a certificate from her workplace to verify her identity.
“Xu Qingning, do you think you can get a marriage certificate without my consent?” Seeing that Xu Qingning was really about to leave, Xu Jianguo finally snapped, gritting his teeth as he issued his ultimatum. “If you step out of this door today, don’t ever come back.”
Xu Qingning walked out without looking back.
This kind of home—she never wanted to return to it.
Downstairs, the crowd had gathered once again to watch the commotion. What was going on? Why was the betrothal gift that had been carried upstairs now being brought back down?
Wait, why were they also carrying down a sewing machine and several bundles?