After saying this, Wen Ziqing squatted on the ground and began to sob.
"What do you envy about me? I have parents, and so do you. Your grandfather was a capitalist, and my grandfather was a landlord. We're even, each half and half."
Your parents raised you, so what is there for you to envy about me?
Do you envy me for being separated from my parents for over a decade? Or is it the misery of my childhood?
Wen Ziqing sobbed as she said, "At least your parents aren't divorced, and you still have a complete family. Unlike us, we have to go back and have to put up with other people's attitudes. They're always picking fights with us. This isn't the life I want."
Jiang Qiao pursed her lips. "Wen Ziqing, how old are you? You're over twenty. You should be independent. If living with them isn't good, move out yourself. There's no rule that says you have to live in someone else's house, right? Unless you like that place—"
This one sentence left Wen Ziqing speechless for a long time.
"Wen Ziqing, let me give you a piece of advice: there's no such thing as a free lunch. The happiness you want can only be obtained through your own efforts. Don't think about taking shortcuts or being opportunistic."
Nobody's stupid. Anyone can see through it in a day or two. Your mother is obsessed with officialdom. In order to advance her career, she's practically heartless.
Go back and tell her that since she has severed ties with the Wen family, she shouldn't be thinking about their property anymore.
Your uncle's house, which your grandfather said was left for your brother, still stands. Tell her not to covet what doesn't belong to her, or she'll regret it later.
Go back now. I'll have someone keep an eye on Ziling's situation. Take care and protect yourself.
Jiang Qiao couldn't give Wen Ziqing any advice. Everyone has to walk their own path, and what kind of path Wen Ziqing would take depended on her own efforts.
When it was time to leave work, Wen Ziqing couldn't wait to run to her mother's workplace. She had to have a good talk with her mother about what she saw about Jiang Qiao today, since there were outsiders in the family and it wasn't appropriate to discuss this matter.
"What? Jiang Qiao is here? And she's warning me? What gives her the right?"
Wen Ziqing lowered her head and stepped on the stone under her feet. "That's what she said. She also said to be careful of retribution."
"Mom, why should we lend them that house? Where will my brother stay if he comes back?"
Ouyang Mingzhu said impatiently, "Don't mention that unfilial son to me. If it weren't for his insistence on staying with your father, our family would only have three women left. What can your mother do if I don't find someone? With only women, and no man to support the family, we'd be bullied to death."
Wen Ziqing glanced at Ouyang Mingzhu and said to herself, "Don't be fooled by the fact that she's my biological mother. Sometimes, even I can't understand what she's thinking."
If she didn't like him, why did she have to remarry, and in such a hurry? Outsiders would laugh at them. I wonder if her own mother knows what people are saying about her.
"Mom, let me tell you, it's easy for you to lend out that house, but it will be difficult for you to get it back. It's my uncle's house, and the property rights aren't in your hands. If something goes wrong later, you'll end up with nothing."
Ouyang Mingzhu glared at her daughter, annoyed. "This must have been said by that brat Jiang Qiao. Don't worry about it. I know what I'm doing. We're in their house, and given the current situation, what can we do? We'll just send those two away. I'm the one who calls the shots here."
Wen Ziqing sighed softly. Her mother was still as self-righteous as ever. If that person's son got married, wouldn't that mean he had an extra helper? If someone picks on you, you'll just have to put up with it anyway.
"Mom, I don't want to live in that house anymore. I want to move out. We have dormitories here, and the factory has a canteen, so I don't have to worry about food or lodging. I don't want to argue with them every day; it's tiring and frustrating—"
Ouyang Mingzhu was dumbfounded. "What? You're moving out? You're leaving your mother all alone in that house? You unlucky child, are you trying to harm your mother or help her?"
"You're my only child, and you expect me to face their whole family alone?"
Wen Ziqing glanced at Ouyang Mingzhu with a half-smile. "Mom, although I hate the identity of this capitalist's son, I dislike living with those people even more. It's too inconvenient."
Besides, I'm an adult now, and I'll choose my own marriage. Don't let that other person arrange it.
I said before that I wouldn't look for someone, and I don't know what you all think. Today I'll also share my thoughts: unless it's someone I've personally chosen, otherwise, no matter who they are, if I don't like them, it doesn't count.
Ouyang Mingzhu angrily swung her fist and punched Wen Ziqing in the back. "You unlucky kid, you're going to make me so angry! Who are we doing this for? Isn't it all for your own good?"
You know how much your uncle likes you. He's helping you, and you don't even appreciate it. How could I have given birth to such an ungrateful child?
While dodging, Wen Ziqing said, "He still likes me? Bullshit! When their kids were being so critical of us, why didn't he say anything? He's always trying to smooth things over. Does he really think I can't see through it?"
You think he's really being kind by introducing me to potential partners? You're so naive. He's just using me as a favor to win people over.
"Mom, you're my own mother. Even at a time like this, how can you still not understand?"
Ouyang Mingzhu awkwardly withdrew her fist. "No, your uncle isn't that kind of person."
Wen Ziqing snorted, "You didn't discuss your marriage with us back then. I can't control your affairs, but you can't stop me from moving out. As for how you are doing in that family, Mom, it's not that I, as your daughter, don't want to help you."
Ziling went to the countryside, so why didn't his daughter? That's the difference. They're not blood relatives; why would they care about us?
Ouyang Mingzhu wanted to defend her husband a few more times, saying, "Your Uncle Duan isn't that kind of person. It's just that Ziling was caught in the wrong situation. We wanted to arrange a job for her, but there were no vacancies. There was nothing we could do."
I know about this. Even your job was arranged by your uncle. You can't wrong an innocent person like this—”
Wen Ziqing pursed her lips, saying nothing but thinking to herself: Does he really think that guy surnamed Duan is some kind of good person? There are many people gossiping behind her back, but she just doesn't say anything.
In the past, she wouldn't have had such determination and confidence, but under Jiang Qiao's provocation, she suddenly felt that being a member of the Wen family wasn't so bad. She still preferred to call him Wen Ziqing instead of Duan Ziqing. If Jiang Qiao could do it, why couldn't she?
Her father said that her grandparents had disappeared to avoid causing them trouble, and she didn't know whether they were alive or dead.
Without this entanglement, she has an advantage over Jiang Qiao, since Gu Hanting is still alive.
Deep down, she just didn't want to be looked down upon, or to live every day under the strange looks and ridicule of others.
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