"Warm Light in the Palm" - Who Will Redeem the Entertainment Godmother (Part 8...)

Ma Cixin slapped her in the face and said, "What's the point of having a baby? Let that person have one himself and see what he can produce!"

Over the years, she has suffered a lot of humiliation, not only having to face her mother-in-law's difficult behavior, but also having to endure Qiu's father's accusations.

A grown man, he just lies around at home, doing nothing, and all he ever does is talk about what's wrong with his mother, his sister, and his kids, telling her to go and solve those problems.

Ma Cixin had to manage both the hardware store business and the troublesome affairs of the Shen family. Like a donkey, she had no rest throughout the year. The Shen family even felt that she had embezzled a lot of their money.

Ma Cixin sometimes wanted to quit, but as she got older, her confidence waned.

Regardless, the Shen family has a stable and profitable hardware store, which is better than most people's situation. She is a second-time bride with a child, and she can feel that marrying into such a family is her limit.

Although she often threatens divorce, it's clear that this tactic is becoming less and less effective. She goes back to her parents' home more and more often, and the time she's called back is getting longer and longer.

Later on, Ma Cixin stopped mentioning divorce as much. Even when they argued and smashed pots and pans, she stubbornly refused to leave.

Several times, Qiu's father even tried to hit him, but fortunately, Ma Tingting had grown up and knew to help her mother with a mop. Ma Cixin was no pushover either; the mother and daughter teamed up to trip Qiu's father to the ground, slapped him several times, and scratched his face.

When Qiu Yi heard the commotion, she went out to see what was going on, ignoring everything else.

Grandma Jiang wanted to intervene, but she was getting old and didn't dare to rush into such a chaotic situation, so she could only watch helplessly.

That battle laid the foundation for a new格局 (geju, a term referring to a new social structure or pattern) for the Shen family.

As a man, Qiu's father was originally arrogant about his strength and was the head of the family. He could do whatever he wanted to anyone in the family.

But after being beaten up by the Ma family mother and daughter, he realized that his strength was also a bit unreliable, and he couldn't help but feel a little scared.

This is why when people talk about domestic violence by men, the camera focuses on the old man, but he always seems so quiet and doesn't say a word at home, looking so pitiful. Isn't that unfair to them?

Actually, there's no conflict. A man's dominant period is when he's young. When he's young, whether he beats his wife or scolds his children, his parents are there, and the whole family stands by him. No one cares if he beats his wife; he can beat her however he wants.

However, modern families are becoming increasingly simplified. The original family members who gave men the initial advantage will, over time, grow old or die, while the children born to women grow up day by day. The main bloodline of the family will be replaced without anyone realizing it.

Nature is cruel; no one can escape aging. Even the most violent man will one day face the combined anger of his wife and children.

What goes around comes around. When children start slamming their fists on the table and retaliating against the person who has been yelling at them, any once-glorious but now doomed "domestic tyrant" will feel fear.

No clear dividing line was needed; in an instant, Qiu's father felt his powerlessness. His sense of superiority over his second wife vanished, and he didn't even dare to pursue the matter after being beaten.

Old Mrs. Jiang was a daughter-in-law who had endured hardship to become a mother-in-law, and she defeated Old Man Shen to gain control of the family.

But the son she relied on has become useless, and her daughter works in another city and will get married in the future, so she can't be counted on either.

In most ordinary families, the mother herself has no power, so her authority comes from her children, and in traditional families, this child specifically refers to the son.

The moment a son loses power is also the moment a mother-in-law loses power in front of her daughter-in-law.

In the past, Old Mrs. Jiang dared to directly berate Ma Cixin because she knew that she still controlled the family. Now, facing Ma Cixin, who was like an angry lion, she suddenly couldn't bring herself to yell at her.

Who says the family isn't a power institution? Everyone living in it is fully aware of their own power and disadvantages, and knows how to weigh them.

For the first time, Grandma Jiang dared not speak. Ma Cixin had achieved an unprecedented victory, and in contrast, Qiu Tianyi's status had risen to an epic level.

I used to think that with my family's good financial situation, having a son/grandson would be easy. Qiu Yi was just a little girl, and raising her wouldn't be a problem. There was no need to make a big deal out of it.

Now that Qiu's father knows he has "azoospermia," Grandma Jiang has no way to get rid of her daughter-in-law and replace her with a hen that can lay eggs, so Qiu Yi has become extremely important.

She dared not even mention the bills she was once asked to pay.

Qiu Yi didn't care at all and threw the bill back to her father, enjoying the smooth life of being free after the college entrance examination and automatically becoming a millionaire.

Although a million dollars isn't a lot of money these days, in a fictional world, unless the background requires it, the international situation and financial situation won't have too many ups and downs. Prices haven't risen too drastically in nine years, and housing prices have even dropped a lot.

With over a million yuan, Qiu Yi could buy a decent house in the city outright. Free from financial pressure, she was naturally in a good mood. She snapped her fingers and looked at Ma Tingting: "My money's back. Is there anything you want?"

Ma Tingting: ...

Qiu Yi's current success is partly due to her contributions.

When we were little, we didn't understand things. Children like to admire older children. Ma Tingting had an older sister who was older than her, and she could go to and from school with her, which made other children very envious.

"Tingting knows people from older grades!"

Because of this, Ma Tingting was very proud among her friends. In addition, she often conspired with Qiu Tianyi to do bad things, and the two became closer and closer. Ma Tingting liked to follow Qiu Tianyi around like a shadow.

But when she grew up, something felt off.

Children have a strong learning ability, and with the advanced information technology of today, everything is shown on television, so children can understand it after watching it a few times.

Ma Cixin enjoys watching palace intrigue and family dramas, and Ma Tingting watches along with her. At first, she was drawn to the unique costumes and outfits, thinking how beautiful they were and how there could be such beautiful people in the world!

She loves watching period dramas; the costumes and makeup are so uniquely beautiful and otherworldly that it's incredibly appealing to a child who's just beginning to explore the world!

She watched with great enthusiasm, initially drawn in purely by the actresses' beauty, but later becoming a serious fan of the show by studying the plot.

The most indispensable plot in period dramas is "having a son," and in palace intrigue and domestic dramas, it becomes a key plot that is emphasized at length.

What villains scheme and plot, all in vain without a son? The protagonist suffers endlessly, but one day he gives birth to a son and his fortunes turn around. The mother's son is murdered, causing her to be heartbroken, twisted, and corrupted. In order for her son to become emperor, the mother transforms into a warrior, overcoming all obstacles, showing the strength of a mother.

The forms are diverse, including both positive and negative portrayals, with both the good cop and the bad cop singing together, but the core message remains consistent: the son is very important and can determine a woman's success or failure in life.

Some people are watching for fun, some are looking in the mirror. Ma Tingting reminisces about the past. What role did she play in that "game within a game within a game" in her own home?

Ma Tingting, who had just scolded the female lead's daughter for being stupid and only dragging her down, suddenly realized that she was actually even stupider than the female lead's daughter!

The moment a person grows up, they will betray their former self. Ma Tingting can now see through the false threat of "your mother doesn't want you" at a glance, and has even gone so far as to understand why her mother wanted a son so much.

Then she regretted it deeply, wondering what she had been doing back then!

Realizing how cunning and treacherous Qiu Tianyi had been in deceiving her, Ma Tingting was horrified. How could Qiu Tianyi be so vicious! So young yet so full of tricks!

Before the discovery, Ma Tingting could share some cute little cards and stickers with Qiu Tianyi, but after the discovery, she didn't want to have any contact with her at all.

He stammered, "No need, Sister Tianyi, you can keep your money. I don't need anything."

Autumn Yi tilted her head.

To celebrate her rebirth, Qiu Yi specially cut her hair into a futuristic, mechanical-style medium-length cut, which reached just to her chin.

Her original black hair was dyed a very translucent, grayish-white mixed color, which, combined with her indifferent face, gave her a kind of inhuman mechanical feel, clearly costing a lot of money.

To match her hair, Qiu Yi even wore a black leather jacket on a hot day; it's unclear whether she was hot or not.

After the college entrance examination, Qiu Tianyi, who was instantly free to express herself, said to Ma Tingting meaningfully, "Don't be so polite, we're like family."

Ma Tingting: ...

Don't bring this up again!

As they grew up, due to the branch school and Ma Tingting's realization, their relationship instantly broke down.

Qiu Yi didn't care much. Only cattle and sheep travel in herds, while wild beasts always move alone. She never needed friends.

But she was not an ungrateful person; Ma Tingting had done her a great service and should be rewarded accordingly.

He put on a helmet and started the electric scooter like a motorcycle: "Get on, I'll take you to pick out a gift."

Ma Tingting: ...

How many domineering CEOs could you possibly eat in one sitting?!

Ma Tingting felt contempt for Qiu Tianyi's greasy behavior, but being three years younger than Qiu Tianyi, she was easily distracted and became curious about what gift it was.

Qiu Yi drove her electric car with Ma Tingting, but instead of going to the county town, they went to the high-speed rail station and boarded a high-speed train directly to X City.

The high-speed train quickly brought the two of them to a big city. Qiu Yi pulled Ma Tingting into a large digital electronics mall and ordered goods according to the list.

Ma Tingting looked at her phone, tablet, computer, and a digital drawing screen worth over ten thousand yuan!

The Shen family was only a middle-class family, yet their electronic devices, worth over ten thousand yuan, were astonishing.

Ma Tingting looked at Qiu Tianyi in disbelief: "These are all for me?"

Under her watchful gaze, Qiu Tianyi inserted her own SIM card into the newly bought phone: "Of course not, the phone is mine, and your school doesn't allow phones."

"So, everything else is mine?"

"No, the computer belongs to my aunt. She broke it, so I have to pay her for a new one."

"Then what is mine?!"

Qiu Tianyi turned her head and smiled, pushing the remaining tablet and digital screen in front of her: "These are all yours. Don't you like to draw random things? You don't need to draw in your textbooks anymore. I'll buy you a set of professional equipment."

"So, how about it? I'm not treating you badly for doing things for me."

Ma Tingting: ...

Thank you, sister! I think there's a reason why my brother wasn't born, and I forgive you on his behalf!