Shen Qingchen was looking forward to the sweet life after reconciling with Jiang Zhi with great joy. However, the hurdle of family stood in front of them, becoming a huge and difficult stumbling block in their relationship.
Shen Qingchen's family is like a complex chess game, with everyone having their own interests and calculations. This complexity is further highlighted when it comes to his reconciliation with Jiang Zhi. This is especially true for his stepmother, Gu Manqi, who is a key figure in this family dispute, and her attitude has a crucial impact on the entire family atmosphere.
Gu Manqi, a shrewd and calculating woman, has always viewed the interests of the Shen family as a crucial tool for her control of power. In her eyes, Jiang Zhi's return is like a pebble that breaks the surface of a tranquil lake, potentially stirring up waves she doesn't want to see. She knows that if Jiang Zhi returns to the family, her position and influence within the family will be threatened. Jiang Zhi's intelligence, independence, and superb medical skills make Gu Manqi uneasy. She worries that Jiang Zhi will win the support of other family members, thereby weakening her own voice in family decision-making. Moreover, Jiang Zhi and Shen Qingchen have a deep relationship. If they reconcile, Shen Qingchen will inevitably lean more towards Jiang Zhi, and all her years of hard work in the Shen family may be wasted.
So, Gu Manqi began her secret sabotage plan. She frequently spoke ill of Jiang Zhi in front of Shen Qingchen. Every time there was a family gathering or a chance to be alone with Shen Qingchen, she would indirectly mention Jiang Zhi. "Qingchen, do you really understand Jiang Zhi? Do you know if she is a good match for our Shen family?" Her tone was always full of doubt and innuendo. Once, she took a report about Jiang Zhi's minor work mistakes that she had obtained from nowhere and deliberately dangled it in front of Shen Qingchen, saying, "Look, this Jiang Zhi is so careless. If she were to enter our family in the future, who knows how much trouble she would cause." She would also exaggerate and describe some false scenarios, such as fabricating Jiang Zhi's so-called "inappropriate behavior" in social situations, in an attempt to make Shen Qingchen suspicious and dissatisfied with Jiang Zhi.
Besides verbal provocations, Gu Manqi also engaged in actions. She would secretly contact some of the Shen family's business partners, suggesting they keep their distance from Jiang Zhi. At a business dinner, she saw Jiang Zhi engaged in a lively conversation with an important business partner. She calmly walked over, interrupted their conversation, and said to the business partner, "Don't be fooled by her appearance. Jiang Zhi is very thoughtful." She then gave the business partner a meaningful expression, leaving him somewhat bewildered. She also deliberately created obstacles for Jiang Zhi in the arrangements of family affairs, making Jiang Zhi's situation in the Shen family awkward and difficult.
Shen Qingchen was very distressed by the behavior of his stepmother. He knew his stepmother's thoughts very well, but his feelings for Jiang Zhi were unwavering. Every time he heard his stepmother say bad things about Jiang Zhi, he would feel a surge of anger in his heart, but it was not easy to turn against his stepmother directly. After all, in this family, it is also important to maintain superficial harmony. He tried to communicate with his stepmother, hoping that she could accept Jiang Zhi. "Mom, I know you have your concerns, but Jiang Zhi is a good girl and she is very important to me. We are really happy together, and I hope you can bless us." Shen Qingchen said sincerely to Gu Manqi. However, Gu Manqi disagreed. She sneered and replied, "Happiness? Humph, you are too naive, Qingchen. This Jiang Zhi is not as simple as you see. She will ruin you."
Faced with the stubbornness of his stepmother, Shen Qingchen did not give up. He began to actively seek support for Jiang Zhi in the family. He started with his own father, trying to make his father understand the relationship between him and Jiang Zhi. He often mentioned Jiang Zhi's strengths in front of his father, such as how Jiang Zhi used her medical skills to help others and how she was strong and unyielding in the face of difficulties. "Dad, do you know? Jiang Zhi used her medical skills to save a dying patient last time. She is really a very kind and capable person." Shen Qingchen said while chatting with his father. At the same time, he also introduced Jiang Zhi's good points to other elders and relatives in the family, hoping to change their views of Jiang Zhi. He took Jiang Zhi to participate in some small family gatherings, giving Jiang Zhi the opportunity to show her charm and kindness. At a family dinner, Jiang Zhi took the initiative to care for an elder who was unwell, and also made some effective health suggestions, which made some relatives present have a slightly better impression of her.
However, opposition within the family still exists. In addition to Gu Manqi, some relatives were influenced by her, or out of self-interest, they opposed the reunion of Jiang Zhi and Shen Qingchen. They constantly raised questions and concerns in family meetings or private discussions. "We don't know much about Jiang Zhi's life experience. Could she have some ulterior motive by suddenly returning to Qingchen?" A family elder frowned and said. These remarks were like gusts of cold wind, constantly impacting the relationship that Shen Qingchen and Jiang Zhi had finally repaired.
Jiang Zhi also felt the pressure from the Shen family. She watched Shen Qingchen running around in the family for their relationship, and her heart was both moved and distressed. She knew that she couldn't just sit there and wait for death, and she had to fight for their relationship and her position in the Shen family. So, she decided to take the initiative and use her own actions to change the Shen family's view of her.
She began to understand the family culture and traditions of the Shen family more deeply and tried to integrate into it. She asked the elders in the family about the history of the Shen family and some special family rules, and she listened and learned carefully every time. During a family sacrificial activity, she asked other elders about the sacrificial process and precautions in advance, and behaved very appropriately during the activity, winning praise from some elders. At the same time, she also used her medical skills to help the people of the Shen family. In addition to treating the long-term illness of Shen Qingchen's father before, she also took the initiative to care about the health of other family members. A young member of the Shen family often had headaches, and he had seen many doctors but to no avail. Jiang Zhi carefully diagnosed him and used his unique medical skills to develop a special treatment plan for him. After a period of treatment, the young member's headache symptoms were significantly alleviated, which made the entire Shen family more recognized of Jiang Zhi's medical skills.
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