Chapter 291 Pink Eye 5 Those two burdens are more important than her own daughter...

Xia Qiang was stunned by the question. Why was this family so weird? Could they tell what she was thinking?

But in front of her father, she didn't dare to admit it. She could only bite her lip, look away, and pretend not to hear.

Yao Zhizhi sneered, "It seems that you really planned to do so."

Xia Qiang turned around suddenly and looked at Yao Zhizhi with hatred: "So what? He can divorce my mother, so he can divorce other women too! What's the big deal?"

"Yes, it's no big deal. Your father divorced and found another woman, so she's still a stepmother to you. There's no difference. But how have Jinghui and Tingfeng done anything wrong to you to deserve this? How old are they? You were probably around the same age when your parents divorced, right?" Yao Zhizhi demanded. "Do you want them to experience what it's like to not have their biological mom or dad around, just like you did?"

Xia Qiang clenched her fists and did not deny it.

What else could Yang Shuming say now? It was not Xiaoyue who was complaining, but Xia Qiang herself who acquiesced.

As a father, he was truly heartbroken, his eyes tearing up. "It was your mother who insisted on getting a divorce. She initially refused to let me see you for years. Later, after I remarried, she contacted me, saying she missed Daddy and wanted to bring you home to see him. Now you're only believing her one-sided story, harboring resentment and seeking revenge. I have nothing to say. I won't acknowledge a daughter like you. Go find your grandmother. I'll provide the money and support you until you're eighteen. Don't come back to me after that."

"Why?" Xia Qiang cried and grabbed Yang Shuming's sleeve, "You are my father. If you send me away, I will die in front of you!"

"Where on earth did you learn these tricks? Look at you, how do you look like the child of a police officer?" Yang Shuming was furious. Blood rushed to his brain, and with the scorching sun, he began to feel a little dizzy.

He stumbled and almost fell to the ground in anger.

Frightened, Yao Zhizhi quickly pulled his sleeve, steadying him, and turned around to warn him, "Your mother is already dead. If you piss your father off again, you'll be in trouble. Don't even think about relying on us. You haven't lived with my sister for a single day, so you can't be a stepchild. You'll have to go back to the countryside and won't even get your father's support! You're already that old. If we keep you for another two or three years, your uncle and aunt will send you off to marry off early in exchange for a betrothal gift, which will be a bargain for their son. If you really want to live like this, then keep making trouble. No one will stop you."

Xia Qiang cried and let go of Yang Shuming's sleeve: "As expected, a child without a mother is like a weed. You all bully me!"

"Are we bullying you, or are you bullying others as soon as you get here? You know it." Yao Zhizhi was already annoyed to death. This stubborn and unreasonable child made her hate him so much.

She didn't rush him, but helped Yang Shuming sit down and settled the account with Xia Qiang.

How much is Yang Shuming's monthly salary? How much is the monthly expenses for the four children in the family? How much does it cost to hire a military wife to help take care of them? Plus the things the two elders buy for the children from time to time, all these sums together are not enough to cover the expenses of Yang Shuming's two salaries.

Finally, she asked, "Your mother definitely didn't tell you, did she? My sister's salary is higher than your father's. Who is the burden? Oh? You, right?"

Xia Qiang didn't say anything and didn't look into Yao Zhizhi's eyes. She suspected that this woman was fabricating the amount to cheat her.

Yao Zhizhi sneered, "You don't believe me? Okay, how about this, brother-in-law, give her your salary for this month and let her be responsible for the daily expenses of the family. If it's not enough, she can find a way out herself. If she can hold on for a month and not steal, then she can stay. I want to see what she is capable of, supporting a whole family with just your salary."

Xia Qiang immediately retorted, "Then take those two burdens away. They are not my father's children. Why should my father raise them?"

This time, Yao Zhizhi didn't need to do anything. Yang Shuming just stood up and slapped her in the face.

A dog will never change its evil nature. If you say that again, he will beat you!

Xia Qiang covered her swollen cheek and fell silent.

She didn't understand. Were those two burdens more important than her own daughter? Sure enough, if there was a stepmother, there would be a stepfather. Her mother was right!

She was so angry that she turned around and ran away, going to the police station to report that her father was abusing children.

When I arrived at the police station, I met Lao He who was on duty. Lao He hated children who were led astray by their parents the most. It seemed as if the whole world owed her something. He scolded her and took her back to the alley, telling her to respect the elderly and love the young and not to do it again.

Xia Qiang was so frustrated. How could she live like this? Calling the police was useless. It was clearly her father and that bad woman who beat her, okay?

She was so angry that she ran to the newspaper office again, but she didn't expect to run into a wall again.

When Li Jing heard that she was Yang Shuming's eldest daughter and that Yang Shuming and Yao Zhizhi beat her, she immediately guessed what was going on.

She picked up the phone and called Yao Zhizhi. After verifying the situation, she personally took Xia Qiang to the publishing house.

It was already working hours. Yao Miaomiao was stopped by her parents the whole time and did not confront her stepdaughter. Li Jing also understood Yao Zhizhi's intention to protect her sister, so she came directly to Yao Zhizhi.

Yao Zhizhi was in a meeting, so Li Jing took Xia Qiang to the office to wait.

On the desk, there were a lot of books, materials, and five English books that President Chao gave to Yao Zhizhi.

Xia Qiang couldn't help but sneer, "She's really good at pretending! My mom already said that Yao Zhizhi is only at the upper primary school level. Who is she showing off her English book to?"

Li Jing squinted her eyes and looked at her, suddenly curious: "How much is your mother's monthly salary?"

"Twenty-eight dollars and fifty cents, what's wrong?" Xia Qiang curled her lips in disdain.

Li Jing sneered, "Do you know how much your stepmother Yao Miaomiao earns a month?"

"Isn't it just a broadcaster? About thirty yuan." Xia Qiang didn't think it was a big deal, just a few more dollars.

Li Jing sneered, "Your mother really likes to belittle others to flatter herself."

"What do you mean?" Xia Qiang's face darkened and she was unhappy.

Li Jing shrugged. "You should know that Northeast China is the most industrially developed region in our country, right?"

"Who doesn't know this?" Xia Qiang rolled her eyes.

Li Jing raised an eyebrow. "Your stepmother, Yao Miaomiao, was the broadcast director in the Northeast. She suffered a loss after being transferred here. Our Yicheng's economic strength can't compare to the Northeast. But even so, her salary is more than twice that of your mother. What's more, she was promoted to station director last year, and her current salary is over a hundred yuan a month. Your mother is jealous. She knows she can't compare to her, so she desperately belittles her in front of you. You don't even know that her father is an officer, right?"

"What officer?" Xia Qiang looked confused. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"No wonder you are so arrogant." Li Jing was speechless. Seeing that it was still early, she took Xia Qiang back to the newspaper office and went to the reference room to find some old newspapers of People's Daily.

Their newspaper, for example, would compile special collections of reports on special figures, such as military officers, model workers, and cadres from all over the country, all categorized into different categories. Everything reported in the People's Daily would be collected so that reporters could easily refer to and consult the relationships between the characters when conducting interviews and writing articles.

The newspaper was sorted alphabetically according to the first letters of the names of the relevant officers. Yao Jingzong's first letter was at the end, so it was easier to find.

Soon, she found relevant reports about Yao Jingzong on the battlefield of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea: "Look, this is your stepmother's biological father. You are really hopeless. What do you believe in what your mother says? If I were you, how would I have the courage to yell at them? I am good and well-behaved. I treat my stepmother and her four children well. Will Commander Yao treat me badly? He is a respectable family and will definitely not embarrass you. But you, as soon as you come, you scold this and that. Who else should I hit if not you? I want to hit you too. You have no respect for your elders."

Xia Qiang frowned, snatched the newspaper and read it carefully. She couldn't believe it: "How could it be? My mother never mentioned this to me. She said that my father's cousin was an officer, and my stepmother married him because of this."

"Your mother deceived you. But your father's cousin did know Commander Yao, and they were old comrades." Li Jing said, and then went to find relevant reports about Tao Songnian. "Did you see, they served together. Commander Tao has a little daughter who has always wanted to match her with Commander Yao's son, but it didn't work out. Later, your father and your stepmother got married, and Commander Tao finally felt a little comforted. If you don't believe me, I can call Commander Tao for you and ask him yourself."

Xia Qiang didn't let Li Jing make the call. She flipped through the newspaper in her hand again and again, as if she understood why her mother was so unbalanced.

Not to mention that her mother has remarried, even if she hasn't, there's no turning back.

Yao Miaomiao's family conditions and her mother's conditions are no match for her.

She lowered her head silently, grasping at the last bit of moral flaw and questioning, "But as soon as I arrived, this Yao Zhizhi hit me. Didn't you say they were a respectable family? Are they really that respectable?"

Li Jing was speechless. She went back to the archives and dug out last year's report on Wang Cong. "Look, last year, this kid insulted your stepmother's eldest son, so much so that Editor-in-Chief Yao came to beat him up. If his parents hadn't taken the initiative to beat him up, he would have received a slap in the face as well. You insulted your nephew and niece first, and you don't allow them to beat you up? Do you have any sense of reason? You've read so much that it's all gone to waste."

After reading the report, Xia Qiang found out that the child was given a serious warning by the school just because he insulted her stepmother's child. She suddenly understood why Yao Zhizhi was so angry.

It turned out that she was just unlucky, as someone else had already done the same thing.

She put the newspaper down and after a long moment asked, "What about her daughter? I was just angry and wanted to get angry. Her daughter actually knew everything."

"Her brother can also catch ghosts, so it's no surprise that he knows what you are thinking." Li Jing has a good relationship with Yao Zhizhi. Several people died mysteriously in the prison, and she asked Yao Zhizhi about it when she was reporting on it.

Yao Zhizhi never told her the truth until now when the policy was relaxed, and then she said that it was a ghost causing trouble and was dealt with by her third brother.

Because the prison guards did have records that no one visited the prisoner on the night of his death, and he did not even leave the cell, Li Jing believed this statement without a doubt.

So now, it’s really not surprising that Xiao Yueliang can understand Xia Qiang’s thoughts.

Xia Qiang couldn't help but shudder, suddenly feeling a little scared. She stared at Li Jing blankly: "Then...will they use ghosts to scare me?"

"If you keep making such a fuss, who knows what will happen." Li Jing didn't want to scare the child, she was just being realistic.

Who can stand such a troublemaker suddenly coming to the house? He must be dealt with.

Ghosts won't leave any evidence, so it's the best method.

Xia Qiang wanted to ask something else, but Li Jing stood up and said, "Okay, it's already four o'clock in the afternoon. Editor-in-Chief Yao should have finished her meeting. Come on, I'll take you to find her. Be good there. They're a very easy family to talk to, except when they're protective of their own shortcomings. Mind your attitude and don't be stupid again. Don't blame me for not warning you when the time comes."

Xia Qiang lowered her head and nodded silently.

When she arrived at the publishing house, she followed Li Jing into the office and was shocked to find that Yao Zhizhi was actually making a phone call in English?

It seemed that her mother really lied to her. At this moment, Xia Qiang fell into deep self-doubt.

Why is it like this? Why? Is it really just because her mother is inferior to her stepmother in everything?

She was deceived so badly.

When Yao Zhizhi hung up the phone, she couldn't help but ask, "Have you been to college?"

"I only graduated from junior high school. What's wrong? Are you discriminating against me based on my academic background?" Yao Zhizhi stood up, picked up the English book in front of her, and flipped to a random page. "Li Jing, why are you standing?"

"No, I still have to go back and review the manuscript. I'll leave this child to you." Li Jing looked at her watch. She still had some work to do today.

Yao Zhizhi opened the drawer and took out a box of sunscreen and gave it to her: "Thank you for your hard work. The child just came and she is quite resistant. Please forgive me for making fun of her."

"It's okay, it's okay. I understand. Just talk to her. Her mother has been lying to her." Li Jing smiled, accepted the gift, and hurried back to work.

Yao Zhizhi sat down without saying a word and continued to work with her head down.

Xia Qiang noticed once again that she was actually writing a letter in English, and couldn't help but wonder: "Does your high school still teach English?"

"No, I taught myself." Yao Zhizhi asked without looking up, "Do you know English?"

"I don't understand." Xia Qiang had only seen others write it, and she couldn't do it herself.

Yao Zhizhi sneered and said, "That can't be helped. I was thinking of keeping you here to help me check the manuscript."

"Leave it to me to check the manuscript?" Xia Qiang was confused.

Yao Zhizhi's anger had subsided now, and she was ready to talk to her calmly. "You have nothing to do during the summer vacation, so why not come out and do something? I'll pay you a salary, and it can be considered as part of your work-study program. If you want to go to school, you can continue next semester. As for those dirty thoughts of yours, I warn you, if you dare to have any ideas about my child, I have the ability to make you disappear without a trace."

Xia Qiang shuddered and didn't dare to argue anymore.