"Take my seal and go to the office to get it." Seeing that she was very concerned about these things, Zhao Jingyu coughed lightly and said, "The seal is in the drawer."

Xu Qingning hummed in agreement and casually asked him, "You'll be gone for more than half a year. Aren't you afraid I'll run off with your money?"

Since I can't sleep anyway, let's chat!

After all, he's supporting her now, so it's important for both parties to maintain a good relationship.

"Jiaodong County is only so big, where can you run to?" Zhao Jingyu turned his head to look at her, a smile appearing on his lips. "Judging from your personality, you won't run away."

"Do you really know my personality?" Xu Qingning became interested, turned over to look at him, but the moonlight was hazy and she couldn't see his face clearly.

Zhao Jingyu is the villain, not a plot device.

His character is portrayed by the author as flesh and blood, thoughtful and responsible, and she is curious about how he views her.

“When you came to me, you made it very clear that you wanted me to raise the child with you. If you run away, who will raise the child?” Zhao Jingyu lowered his head and met her gaze. “Don’t worry, I keep my word. No matter if we are husband and wife in the future, as long as it is my child, I will definitely take responsibility to the end.”

"Don't worry, the child is 100% yours." Xu Qingning said calmly. "I'm not a casual woman. I've never been with any other man besides you."

His doubts are his business; as long as she has a clear conscience, that's enough.

Anyway, she'll leave him in three years and live her own life.

To survive in this cold and indifferent world of supporting characters, she needs to work hard to earn and save money over the next three years. Money brings a sense of security!

"I believe you." Zhao Jingyu knew that she only had eyes for Xiao Tingshen and would not have any dealings with other men. The night she lost her virginity to him was also because she was framed and plotted against by Tang Wenya.

He was about to say something when he saw that Xu Qingning had already fallen asleep, her pretty face half-hidden in the quilt, her breathing shallow. However, her sleeping posture was really bad; one of her feet had actually kicked into his quilt.

Touching her warm skin, he was somewhat at a loss, so he simply turned over and faced away from her. This woman was much easier to get along with than he had imagined; she was happy as long as he gave her money.

All he can give her right now is money.

The thought of her carrying his child filled him with indescribable emotions, and he couldn't help but turn around to look at her.

The woman in her sleep was thin and petite, looking frail and weak. It was this delicate and frail body that was willing to bear such a bad reputation and give birth to this child.

One can imagine that she must have been terrified after that night, too afraid to tell her parents, and unsure of what to do.

She only mustered the courage to go to him after she noticed her body was reacting... Her biological father didn't love her, and her stepmother didn't care about her, so her situation at home was quite difficult.

The elderly couple next door were also wide awake, whispering about what had happened that night. Yang Yuelan, being perceptive, noticed that Xu Qingning was having a hard time at her parents' home: "Tonight, Qingning's stepmother came to ask for the bride price. She knew Qingning was pregnant, but she didn't even ask how her appetite was. A stepmother is a stepmother."

Although Xu Qingning ate a bowl of dumplings, she clearly had a poor appetite and gagged from time to time.

As her mother-in-law, she saw it all and felt sorry for her.

“I don’t think her father treats her very well either. His own daughter has gone through such a thing, and he’s not even in a hurry to arrange the wedding. Instead, he’s making things difficult for Jingyu.” Zhao Futang also felt that Xu Jianguo and his wife were not being fair. “Fortunately, our daughter-in-law is a reasonable person. She kept the bride price to herself and didn’t want the dowry. As long as she’s a good person, we will help her out.”

Previously, Zhao Jingyu was self-sufficient and had no need for his family.

Now that he has a wife and children, and he's away for more than half a year at a time, it's the time when he needs his parents' help.

"After the wedding banquet tomorrow, I'll go back with you to settle in, and then I'll move in to keep Qingning company. I'm worried about her living here alone after Jingyu goes to sea." Yang Yuelan only brought some fruits and vegetables this time; she didn't bring any changes of clothes or anything like that.

The main reason is that Xu Qingning is willing to be close to her, calling her "Mom" repeatedly, which makes her feel comfortable.

She was happy to come and take care of her daughter-in-law.

“If you want to come, then come. I have no objection.” Zhao Futang agreed. “Anyway, my two grandsons are already in elementary school. They can take care of themselves, so we don’t need to.”

He can cook and clean the house himself, and he's in good health. We've been married for a long time, and there's nothing we can't do without.

He also knew that Yang Yuelan had wanted to get closer to her son all these years, but she had never had the opportunity.

Right now is a great opportunity.

“Okay, it’s settled then.” Yang Yuelan glanced around the room. “Once I move in, I’ll tidy it up for them. We’ll remove the bed in this room and build a kang (heated brick bed). It’ll be warmer on the kang when we have a baby.”

"As long as your daughter-in-law agrees, that's fine." Zhao Futang knew Yang Yuelan meant well, but he also told her, "You must remember that this is your son and daughter-in-law's home, so don't make decisions on your own."

"I know." Yang Yuelan nodded. "This isn't my first time being a mother-in-law. I know what I'm doing. I'm doing my best. Whether they appreciate it or not is their business. Go to sleep early. The eldest and second eldest families will be here tomorrow, and there's nowhere for them to stay. They'll have to go back the same day, and we'll be busy for a while."

"It's only a two-hour drive, not far at all." Zhao Futang was also sleepy and said with a yawn, "Sleep, sleep. I have to get up early tomorrow."

Xu Jianguo was working the night shift. Jiang Yumei and Tang Wenya were talking about going to Zhao Jingyu's house that night: "Zhao Jingyu's parents used to work in the city. Zhao Jingyu's two older brothers went to the countryside and got married there one after another. They never returned to the city. The old couple went to the countryside to help take care of their children. They've been there for seven or eight years now. To be honest, they're just a bunch of country bumpkins."

"Since he's a country bumpkin, why is Zhao Jingyu so generous and able to offer such a large dowry?" Tang Wenya had been wondering about this for a long time. Because of this, Xiao Tingshen's parents misunderstood her and her mother, and even thought that they were deliberately trying to embarrass them.

Fortunately, Xiao Tingshen believed her and explained for a long time before his parents believed that the matter of sending betrothal gifts was really a coincidence.

"It must have been Zhao Jingyu who paid for it himself. Don't forget that a seaman's salary isn't low, forty or fifty a month, plus all sorts of benefits and subsidies. Don't forget, it's not easy for a scoundrel like him to find a wife. Who would want to be with someone like him?" Jiang Yumei got angry when she mentioned this. What was the use of the large dowry Zhao Jingyu gave? In the end, it didn't even reach her hands.

The system promptly announced: "Zhao Jingyu's grandmother was wealthy. Before she passed away, she left a message for Xu Qingning's mother-in-law, saying that the gold bracelet, gold necklace, and several jade stones she left behind were all for Xu Qingning."

"Gold bracelets and gold necklaces?" Tang Wenya exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"

System: "More real than real gold."

"She's only been married for less than a day, and her mother-in-law gave it to her?" Tang Wenya was very surprised.

System: "Xu Qingning has a sweet tongue. She calls Zhao Jingyu's parents 'Mom and Dad' when she sees them. The old couple like her very much, and her mother-in-law gave her a gold bracelet and a gold necklace."

Tang Wenya: "..."

It seems that Zhao Jingyu's parents aren't very smart either. They don't just entrust him with a large sum of money because he calls them "Mom and Dad."

Xu Qingning is lazy and greedy, so she will definitely sell the gold bracelet and gold necklace to make money.

"Ya Ya, do you think we should go to the wedding tomorrow?" Jiang Yumei nudged Tang Wenya's arm when she noticed that Tang Wenya had fallen silent. "I heard that Zhao Jingyu invited everyone in their tenement. He and Xiao Tingshen have always had a good relationship and live in the same compound, so he will definitely invite him too."

"Go, why not go?" Tang Wenya then blocked the system. She really wanted to see if Xu Qingning's in-laws were good to her. More importantly, she could see Xiao Tingshen legitimately.

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, and his family lived in the company's large courtyard.

Their courtyard was quite large, housing more than thirty households, like a small village.

Zhao Jingyu's dormitory was rather remote, right next to the west wall, and more than a dozen households away from Xiao Tingshen's house.

“Okay, let’s go together tomorrow.” Jiang Yumei didn’t really want to go, but if she didn’t, the Xiao family would inevitably think that she was mistreating Xu Qingning and not even attending the wedding. She didn’t want to have such a reputation.

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