Chapter 5 The Nemesis

"Have you ever thought about what respectable young man would marry you if things really escalated?"

Li Qiaodi continued to patiently preach.

"Besides, if you give this job to your older brother, he'll have the opportunity to develop his career abroad. When he comes back, he'll definitely be able to take care of the rest of the family. Finding a partner will be a breeze for you, won't it?"

Zhou Lijuan leaned back in her chair, completely ignoring her.

“My older brother rarely comes over; he’s always so busy we hardly ever see him. If he really goes back to China, will he even remember this family?”

Her words were straightforward.

Li Qiaodi gave an awkward smile and said dryly, "How could that be... Your older brother has been working really hard lately because the school leaders value him and have given him a lot of tasks! How could he possibly have time to go home?"

"Oh, my brother is busy, but my sister-in-law is still running around like a whirlwind, isn't she?"

Zhou Lijuan gave a cold laugh, her eyes filled with mockery.

"You two are like dragons, rarely seen, and now you're hoping I'll put in a good word for you with your elders."

Zhou Lijuan was completely unresponsive to reason.

However, the mother-in-law's reaction seemed to indicate a deliberate wavering.

Li Qiaodi's heart immediately went into overdrive, fearing that the situation might change, and she quickly turned her gaze to her mother-in-law, who had been silent all along.

"Mom, it's settled then. I'm going back to my parents' house now to talk to my mom first."

Zhou Shufen raised her eyes and glanced at her indifferently.

"When did I agree to that?"

"Over the years, whenever the family has encountered trouble and needed help, when have we ever been able to find either of you?"

Li Qiaodi, who had been all smiles just moments before, froze in place.

"Mom, we agreed on this so clearly, how could you turn your back on me like this? Besides, Haiwei is still your son, after all!"

"Who exactly agreed? Who heard it with their own ears? Who saw it with their own eyes?"

Zhou Shufen's tone was aggressive.

In her previous life, Li Qiaodi never gave her a kind look.

At that time, Zhou Shufen also endured in silence, gritting her teeth and swallowing her grievances.

Ultimately, it's because there's still a glimmer of hope on the side of the boss, Haiwei.

I heard there's an opportunity to go abroad, and once I step out of the country, I can return home in glory.

Perhaps it can even help support the family and make their lives more comfortable.

Only then did she transfer the job that originally belonged to her own daughter to Li's daughter-in-law.

As for this daughter-in-law who is not very reasonable and doesn't understand the rules.

I tried my best to meet each and every request she made.

The couple certainly enjoyed great success and prestige in public.

It's so hard to find even a soul, how could they possibly receive any favors back home?

Occasionally, when I go back to my hometown, I have to humbly endure their scolding.

The more Zhou Shufen recalled these old grievances, the angrier she became.

Li Qiaodi was naturally unwilling to let the matter rest.

"mom!"

She raised her voice.

"How could you treat me like this? Where will we put our family's reputation now! When the people of Zhoujia Village find out about this, they'll all laugh at our whole family and make us look like a laughingstock!"

"Since you agreed to it, then you should clean it up yourself!"

Zhou Shufen didn't hold back and gave a cold laugh.

"If our family is disgraced or loses face, it's all your fault! We might as well get a divorce sooner rather than later, since you're a jinx!"

Li Qiaodi's face turned pale instantly.

She has always been someone who cares a lot about saving face.

Since she married into this family, her mother-in-law has been sometimes cold and sometimes indifferent to her.

But I've never seen such a public falling out.

An overwhelming sense of grievance suddenly welled up inside me.

"Mom...what did I do wrong? What did I do to offend you?"

Her voice trembled as she spoke.

"Mom, what did I do to offend you? Haven't I done enough for Haiwei and for this family? Even if I haven't done anything major, I haven't done anything minor either!"

"What have you contributed? All you've done is marry into this family. I've never seen you work hard; I do all the housework. When there's nothing going on at home, you just relax and enjoy yourself. But as soon as there's something to gain, you jump out and try to take advantage. Tell me, what have you contributed all these years?"

In the past, Zhou Shufen quite liked this daughter-in-law.

At that time, Li Qiaodi was dignified and elegant, eloquent, sweet-talking, and quick-witted.

Especially in front of outsiders, she never embarrasses her family and speaks fluently and politely.

The old lady thought it was great to have such a daughter-in-law.

However, as time went on, problems gradually emerged.

In fact, her good qualities are just superficial.

In reality, Li Qiaodi did not truly respect Zhou Shufen at heart.

She looked down on the old lady's outdated ideas.

Influenced by her, the child was also taught to be distant and indifferent towards his grandmother.

They're not friendly when we meet, which is extremely disheartening.

Since Zhou Haiwei moved abroad, the house has become increasingly quiet and deserted.

Over the years, he has hardly ever gone home to visit Zhou Shufen.

As people get older, they should be able to enjoy some happiness.

But the old lady now lives alone, all by herself.

He only receives a phone call to greet his grandson during holidays and festivals each year, and has never actually seen him in person.

She always believed that it was enough that her eldest son was doing better in another city.

Now, being subjected to this barrage of accusations from her daughter-in-law, Zhou Shufen felt a sharp pain in her heart.

These words may be harsh, but they are all true.

The more she thought about it, the more wronged and sad she felt.

She had suspected her daughter-in-law's intentions in the past.

But they never confronted each other directly.

Now that her secret has been suddenly exposed, Li Qiaodi felt guilty.

Zhou Shufen had never criticized her for doing that before.

Most importantly, Zhou Haiwei is currently in the rising phase of his career.

"Mom," Li Qiaodi quickly changed her tone, "Haiwei is your own son! He has always been very filial and sensible, and he has never made any special requests of you in the past."

She continued, "Over the years, he has also done his best to help supplement the family income. Whenever there is a problem at home, he never stands idly by..."

“He’s capable enough on his own, why would he need me to build connections for him? You two earn a decent monthly salary, yet you’ve never contributed a single penny to household expenses; you keep it all to yourselves. I’ve never said a bad word about it. Since you’re living your own lives, don’t come to us when you’re in trouble! We can’t count on you.”

Hearing this, Li Qiaodi became even more nervous, and her expression became somewhat uneasy.

"Mom, Haiwei has so many expenses. No matter how much we earn, we can't afford all the social obligations. How can we afford to support our family with these gifts?"

When her mother-in-law brought up money again, Li Qiaodi panicked completely.

Her face was slightly pale, and her hands unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes.

She realized that Zhou Shufen's words had been too blunt.

This is not just a complaint.

Instead, he began to genuinely resent her.

If this causes conflict between the mother and son, the consequences will be severe...