Because Qiao Zhen won first place in the Moroto Competition, Ming Shi promoted her to a permanent position and raised her salary to five thousand. She didn't calculate the taxes deducted; it was a raise anyway. She happily went back home and saw that the atmosphere in the room was a bit heavy. She thought something was wrong, but it turned out that Uncle Qiao had come over again to stir up trouble.
A faint smile appeared on Qiao Zhen's lips. Ming Yan had helped her before, so this time she'd have to rely on Ming Zhao! But Ming Zhao didn't seem like someone to be trifled with; she was far more ruthless than Ming Yan. She figured that Uncle Qiao's recent outburst would be over by tomorrow.
"Zhenzhen's back." Grandma Qiao glanced at Qiao Zhen with a half-hearted look, clearly not taking her seriously. The older generation's preference for sons over daughters is truly a backward custom, and what's even more terrifying is that women also hold this preference. In Grandma Qiao's mind, Qiao Zhen was a girl, and from birth, she was labeled a "money-losing burden."
Qiao Zhen went into the bedroom and put the property certificate, bankbook, and the property certificates and savings of Qiao's father and mother into her bag. "Grandma, I'm going out to buy you some sesame cakes."
"Hmph, at least you have some conscience." Grandma Qiao scoffed, her cloudy old eyes scrutinizing Qiao Zhen. "Buy some nice things for your uncle and cousin. Girls will get married sooner or later, why waste so much money?"
Qiao Zhen didn't get angry; instead, she laughed. The angrier she was, the more radiant her laughter became. "I can spend the money my parents earn however I want. Things are different now than before. Back then, my father even used his school fees as a dowry for my uncle. But I'm different. I'm an only child, and this house will be mine someday."
Grandma Qiao was about to have an outburst.
"Oh, right," Qiao Zhen interrupted before Grandma Qiao could speak, "I'm at the age where I should be getting married. It doesn't make sense for me to help someone else's son get married before I've even prepared the dowry for my own daughter, right, Grandma?"
Before Grandma Qiao could answer, Qiao Zhen picked up her bag, turned around, and left, her eyes blazing with anger.
Grandma Qiao picked up a teacup and smashed it against Qiao Zhen's leg with considerable force, hitting her calf squarely. "Look at the state you've become! No one would want you, you worthless piece of trash!"
"Hiss—" Qiao Zhen gasped.
Qiao's mother immediately went to help Qiao Zhen up. "What's wrong? Does it hurt?" She looked at Qiao's grandmother and said in a firm tone, "The compensation is money that her father and I should have paid. Mother-in-law, aren't you being too nosy? If you think Zhenzhen should have paid compensation, then I'll take her away and get a divorce. I want half of the marital property, and Zhenzhen's dowry is what her father should have paid. The house is in the names of me, Yuanhua, and Qiao Renyuan. Even if you are the mother-in-law, you have no right to interfere!"
Grandpa Qiao couldn't stand Madam Qiao's insolence. He slammed his rough hand on the coffee table and said, "Have you forgotten the rules of our Qiao family?"
Mr. Qiao's face still flushed with embarrassment, and he hadn't offered a single word of support for Mrs. Qiao and Qiao Zhen despite the injustices they had suffered. What a blindly filial father!
Qiao Zhen broke free from her mother's grasp and spoke without any politeness, "My mother is a dog, what is my father, and what are you all?" She laughed sarcastically, "I have no right to care about my father, he is my father! I can do without the dowry, but don't even think about a single penny of my mother's. When my mother married my father, her dowry was 200,000 yuan. You should know how much that would be worth now. Part of it was used to support my father's education, and part of it was used to buy a house. My father's betrothal gift was only 2,000 yuan back then."
"My cousin is in sixth grade. Everything my uncle's family eats, drinks, and uses was bought with my mother's dowry money! You keep calling my mother a money-loser, but why don't you guys lose money? You bully her, insult her, and think she has to obey your family just because she married into your family." Qiao Zhen shouted angrily, "I'm telling you! Don't even mention a penny, if I give you a hair, I'll change my surname from Qiao! I'll change my surname to Yuan!"
Mrs. Qiao couldn't help but burst into tears.
Grandpa Qiao gave a cold snort, "Back then, I sponsored the eldest son's family with your mother's consent. Afterwards, I apologized to your mother, and she forgave me."
Qiao Zhen patted her mother's arm to comfort her, "That's not forgiveness, that's just letting it go, that's disappointment in you. My mother agreed because she considered you family back then, but now she's disappointed in you and doesn't consider you family anymore. How dare you come here asking for money again? You're asking for two million!"
Qiao's cousin was displeased upon hearing Qiao Zhen's words. "Qiao Zhen, we all know you won 600,000 yuan. Just because your family is rich doesn't mean you can watch me not even be able to afford a wife, right? Didn't your mother want to be a good person? Then go all the way with the good deeds! What's the point of doing it only halfway? Truly, the most poisonous heart is that of a woman!"
"Second Uncle, you wouldn't just watch me go without being able to afford a wife, would you? Qiao Zhen is successful and capable now, but what good is that? Once she's married and has children, they'll still take her husband's surname. A married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; she'll eventually become an outsider. Second Uncle, you need to think this through. Don't make a mistake now. Grandpa and Grandma are watching right here."
"Pfft." Qiao Zhen couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Yes, Dad, you need to think this through. I'm your biological daughter, your only daughter. Now that I'm successful, you'll have to rely on me to support you in your old age. But what about Uncle and Cousin? They're idle and have accomplished nothing. Now they're even dreaming of living off their savings. In the future, they won't even be able to support themselves, let alone Grandpa and Grandma. You need to think this through. Can they afford to support you? Will they be so kind as to take care of you?"
These words struck a chord with Mr. Qiao. He hunched over and said, "Dad, Mom, it's not that I don't want to help, but you've seen it yourself. Qiao Zhen is my only daughter. Can you really bear to see me all alone in the future? Dad, Mom, even if you're biased, you can't be so biased. Qiao Xuan is your grandson, and Zhenzhen is your granddaughter. There's no 'outsider' between them yet, and you're already treating her like an outsider."
Grandma Qiao glanced at Mr. Qiao and said in a condescending manner, "Alright, we don't need two million. Just give us one million, and Qiao Zhen will give us six hundred thousand, and then we'll leave."
Qiao Zhen left with her bag, leaving the house deathly silent. Grandpa and Grandma Qiao waited for Qiao's father to give in, while Uncle Qiao and Qiao Xuan waited to see the spectacle between Qiao's father and mother. Qiao's mother suppressed her sobs.
Qiao Zhen had entrusted all of her family's savings to Ming Zhao. She limped in, and when Ming Zhao's mother saw her like that, she immediately helped her inside. "What's wrong?"
Qiao Zhen let out a heavy sigh. "You weird relative, Auntie, can I borrow your phone?"
She called the security office directly and asked them to bring people up. "Auntie, I'll go back first."
Ming's mother helped Qiao Zhen into the Qiao family home and joined in, saying, "In-laws, what happened to Zhenzhen? You don't care, but I, her future mother-in-law, do!"
Qiao Zhen looked at Grandma Qiao with full confidence, "One million? No. Six hundred thousand? I earned it through my talent, and I wouldn't give you a single penny. What are you? You're just bloodsuckers. If I don't get rid of you, am I supposed to keep you around to ruin my husband's family? You're right, I'm a money-loser, and I'll pay off your family's debts! To prevent my husband from looking down on me for being a money-loser in the future, I have to hold onto my money tightly. I have to bring wealth to my husband."
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