Chapter 1910: Cannot Bear to Look
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
It was already rare for a parent to raise a child to this age, especially since Qiao Zijin did not work. No matter how much the children of other families relied on their parents, they would find a job for themselves at the very least. Then, they would complain that their salary was low. But Qiao Zijin had skipped this entire process!
Hearing this solution, Ding Jiayi thought that this was a plan too. Initially, Ding Jiayi had thought that there was no big deal in selling the quad to treat Qiao Zijin’s illness. This house would eventually be pa.s.sed down to Qiao Zijin, after all. But selling the apartment would be the same too.
The most important thing was to treat Qiao Zijin’s illness. Ding Jiayi did not care which property they sold. “Zijin, this solution sounds good. Haven’t you always been staying here in the courtyard after you got divorced from Chen Jun? You grew up here, so you can just continue staying here. Just sell that apartment.”
It would be a pity since that apartment was huge and beautiful, with gorgeous white marble lining the floor. After owning the house for such a long time, she had not even moved in yet. It would be such a pity to sell a new house that she herself had not lived in.
“No way!” Qiao Zijin immediately retorted. “We can’t sell that apartment. If we have to sell anything, it has to be this quad.” Qiao Zijin was frustrated. This quad was hers too. Since they were all hers, why could she not decide on how to deal with them?
Qiao Dongliang drew a sharp breath and asked straightforwardly, “If we sell this quad, where will your mom and I live?”
Qiao Zijin had not realized the meaning of Qiao Dongliang’s words and said naturally, “Of course we’ll rent an apartment. After you sold this house, didn’t you rent an apartment too? Since you could do it then, you can do it now too. I’ve already thought about it. I’ll rent an apartment with a room and a living room for you. It’s more than enough s.p.a.ce for you and Mom.”
“Right. That’s right. That’s much better than the apartment we lived in at that time. Old Qiao, look at how much Zijin thinks about us. Remember how we had to squeeze into a rented room the last time we sold our house? I told you that Zijin’s much better than that wretched girl. Did that wretched girl give us such a good life at that time?”
Qiao Zijin and Ding Jiayi had already discussed renting an apartment. It was natural that they turned to renting an apartment after selling the house. At that time, they had squeezed into a room after selling the house, causing Ding Jiayi to regret her decision.
Thinking about how hard she had had it at that time, Ding Jiayi had been rather reluctant to sell the quad too. Seeing Ding Jiayi’s unwillingness, Qiao Zijin had no choice but to bring up the idea of renting a small apartment for Qiao Dongliang and Ding Jiayi so that they would still live comfortably, just like they had done at home.
Qiao Zijin even said that her parents had spent their whole lives in the quad and had never experienced living in an apartment. It would be good for them to have a change in environment and experience living in a different kind of home.
Now that Qiao Zijin had said that, Ding Jiayi had indeed agreed to it. They were mother and daughter, after all, and shared similar ideas.
Seeing how Ding Jiayi was overjoyed and defending her elder daughter even after being deceived, Qiao Dongliang was almost speechless. After a long while, Qiao Dongliang asked, “If you rent an apartment with only one room, where will you stay?”
“I’ll return to my own house.” She had her own house and did not have to worry about having nowhere to live. “You and Mom toiled your whole lives for me and Qiao Nan. You’ve never been able to enjoy your own lives. I’ve thought about it. Once we sell this house and treat my illness, the two of you can have your own lives in that apartment. You don’t have to worry about me. My mom will just have to come over once a week to clean up for me. Then, you will not only be able to live your own lives, but I’ll even sign you up for a tour to Thailand for you to have a vacation!”
To make it sound as though she was renting the apartment out of filial piety, Qiao Zijin had no choice but to spend twenty thousand yuan on a tour for her parents.
“Right, that’s what Zijin means.” Ding Jiayi’s face was glowing. Going abroad. That was something she had never gotten the chance to do in this whole lifetime. And it was her daughter forking out the money for her to go on a holiday with Old Qiao! She had said long ago that Zijin was a good kid and they could only rely on Zijin in their old age.
Now, facts proved that her judgment had been much better than Old Qiao’s. Zijin was good, while that wretched girl was wretched indeed. She was such an ingrate! “We’ve worked hard our whole lives to raise two children. That wretched girl is too heartless. I don’t even want to acknowledge having a daughter like her. I’ll just take it that I raised her for nothing. In the future, let’s live our own lives. I’ll go help Zijin clean up her house from time to time and help her cook. Old Qiao, I’ve never imagined that I would be able to live such a good life at our age!”
She had been as pretty as a flower when she had just married Old Qiao. They had not had much time together before they had their elder daughter, Qiao Zijin. Now that they were old, they were leading lives that could not even match up to young people’s! It was actually quite embarra.s.sing.
Qiao Zijin was cheating Ding Jiayi of her money, but Ding Jiayi was still gleefully trying to help her! The sight of the mother and daughter’s interaction left Qiao Dongliang at a loss of words.
No matter how nicely she said it, it could not change the fact that their elder daughter despised them and was unwilling to stay with them. Renting them a house? Did they not have a house in the first place? They were only homeless because they were selling the house for their elder daughter’s treatment.
They were doing all these for their elder daughter, but she was still reluctant to live with them. What else could Qiao Dongliang say to that? And Old Ding would even have to go to her elder daughter’s house from time to time to clean and cook? So, that meant that their elder daughter did not want to live with them but wanted them to work for her! In that way, she would be able to save some money on hiring a caretaker.
Qiao Dongliang’s heart dropped when he realized just how callous his elder daughter was and felt provoked by Ding Jiayi’s words. Did this wife of his have no heart or brain of her own? Could she not think or feel for herself?
Ding Jiayi had forced their most filial daughter away and was now calling their evil-hearted and mean-spirited elder daughter a good child. Qiao Dongliang suddenly realized that not only was he unable to live with his elder daughter, Qiao Zijin, any longer, but he could not even stand to look at his wife, Ding Jiayi, anymore.