"So certain?" Qin i shifted her gaze to Jie Jingchen.
"Granny favors boys over girls," Jie Jingchen said.
Qin i fell silent. That kind of sexism was a fundantal flaw.
Grandpa stood to one side, watching the scene unfold with a helpless look on his face. Granny sat in a chair while Jie Anqi knelt on the floor, crying with her head on Granny’s lap.
"Stop crying." Watching her granddaughter wail with hardly a tear in sight, Granny grew even more irritated. She was in no mood to offer Jie Anqi any comfort.
"Granny, Jing Si bullied ," Jie Anqi whined, her voice choked with sobs.
"He doesn’t even respect , so it’s normal for him to bully you." The mory of how rcilessly Jing Si had retorted, treating her as if she weren’t his granny at all, made her feel resentful and furious.
’Did my eldest and Qiao Yanqiu give a well-behaved grandson? No, they clearly gave an enemy.’
Jie Anqi stopped crying and looked up at Granny, her eyes red. She knew Jing Si wasn’t afraid of their grandmother, and she knew Granny couldn’t control him. Still, she had been wronged. The least Granny could do was reprimand Jing Si for her.
If Granny hadn’t played matchmaker, she never would have fallen for Qin Xiang at first sight.
"Granny, you’re the elder, and Jing Si is the junior. When a junior makes a mistake, it’s normal for an elder to lecture them a bit," Jie Anqi said, her voice choked.
Granny glared at Jie Anqi. "Jing Si has a vicious tongue. I say one word to him, and he has ten to fire back at ."
"Granny, you’re the elder," Jie Anqi reminded her.
"Elder? Hmph!" Granny snorted. "I’m only an elder if he treats like one. When he doesn’t, I’m no better than a stranger."
Suddenly, Granny felt a pang of longing for the machinery factory. Back there, she could lord it over everyone. Here, her words were just hot air. Only her eldest son, Second Daughter-in-law Jing, and Xiao You ever listened to her.
She had driven Zhang Hongying away, and her eldest son had Jing Wu send Zhang Hongying back to the countryside. But his wife didn’t hire anyone new to take care of them. Instead, it was the old man who had to do all the cooking and cleaning.
"You’re his granny, which makes you his elder. Disrespecting your elders will..."
"An Qi," Grandpa cut in. "This family has known no peace since your granny and I moved in. If you keep stirring the pot, will there even be a family left to save?"
"Grandpa," Jie Anqi said, biting her lower lip in grievance.
Granny was not pleased. She glared at Grandpa. "Old man, watch your mouth! Is this family in turmoil because we moved in? Have you forgotten why Second Daughter-in-law Jing sought us out? If it weren’t for us, Zhang Hongying would have succeeded, and this family really would have fallen apart."
Grandpa fell silent. He couldn’t refute her. If they hadn’t stopped Zhang Hongying in ti, and if sothing had actually happened between his eldest son and Zhang Hongying, his daughter-in-law would have undoubtedly divorced him. If they divorced, this family would truly be broken.
The Jie Family was no match for the Qiao Family. The Jie Family wouldn’t have been able to keep the three children their daughter-in-law had borne. She would absolutely take all three of them back to Xiangjiang with her. And knowing her temper, she’d sooner sell this house than let her husband and the children stay there.
"Grandpa, Granny, did Zhang Hongying make a move on Eldest Uncle?" Jie Anqi asked excitedly. Everyone could see that Zhang Hongying coveted him; only their Eldest Aunt was stubbornly blind to it.
Granny glared at Jie Anqi and warned, "Don’t talk nonsense."
Granny then shot a resentful glare at the silent Grandpa. It was all his fault, provoking her into saying sothing she shouldn’t have in the heat of the argunt. She had kept the business with her eldest son and Zhang Hongying a secret from everyone but his imdiate family—she had even hidden it from An Lin. But today, An Qi had heard enough to piece it all together.
"Oh, Granny, don’t be so secretive. We all know Zhang Hongying has designs on Eldest Uncle." Jie Anqi waved a dismissive hand, ignoring her grandmother’s warning. "It’s an open secret. People only keep quiet about it because Eldest Aunt insists on protecting her."
She had often heard her parents discussing it in private. They said that with Eldest Aunt letting Zhang Hongying work in the house, it was only a matter of ti before sothing happened. Zhang Hongying was ambitious and had her sights set on Eldest Uncle; how could she possibly be content with her station?
"An Qi!" Granny barked, warning her sharply. "You can say that in front of us, and that’s it. If you dare repeat it outside, you’ll have to answer to."
Jie Anqi flinched. She was scared of her grandmother’s sudden shifts in mood. Sticking out her tongue playfully, she nodded obediently. "I know, Granny. Don’t worry, I’m not an idiot. I promise I won’t say a word to anyone."
With Jie Anqi’s assurance, Granny finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her expression softened. Looking kindly at Jie Anqi, she said, "Alright, Jing Si doesn’t want you here, so don’t cause any more trouble. Go on back to work."
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