Chapter 2223: Not Intelligent Enough
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Qiao Zijin’s expression darkened and she could not help but mutter inwardly: What a bunch of bootlickers! These people had been bought over so easily. Could they get any more superficial? If she had not remembered wrongly, Qiao Nan had not invited her neighbors in the northern quad to her wedding. Then, there had been many who had been bitter, scolding Qiao Nan for forgetting about them because she had gotten rich.
Qiao Zijin felt rather annoyed having such neighbors too. They were pulling her down. “Mom. I’m back.” Didn’t they say that many things had been sent here today? She had only gotten a glance at that package, so she knew that it was huge. But she had no idea about its contents.
Since Qiao Nan had prepared gifts for her neighbors, she couldn’t possibly have neglected Qiao Zijin, who was her elder sister, right? No matter what, Qiao Zijin had made a trip to the capital to see the pregnant Qiao Nan, and she had even waited until the children had turned a month old before leaving. Qiao Nan should acknowledge her efforts at the very least, right?
“You guys are back?” Ding Jiayi wiped her hands as her eyes twinkled. Old Qiao and Zijin were back. She would no longer be alone.
In the past, Ding Jiayi had hated the house for being old and small. It was nowhere as spacious and bright as an apartment. But in the past month she had been living alone, Ding Jiayi had realized that the house was not exactly small. At times, Ding Jiayi had even felt timid when she heard the slightest noises outside. Sometimes, Ding Jiayi even felt that the house was too big for her.
Everything was great now that their family of three was back together, and Ding Jiayi’s courage suddenly came back. “You must be tired. Sit down. I’ll get you and your dad some water. Take a rest.” Seeing the father and daughter covered in dust, Ding Jiayi was especially happy and her expression was much calmer and more peaceful than before.
Qiao Dongliang, who had no luggage with him, looked much more relaxed. However, he looked much more tired than Qiao Zijin because of his age. “I heard the neighbors say that my parcels are here. Where are they? You didn’t open them, did you?”
“No.” Ding Jiayi waved immediately, afraid that Qiao Dongliang would misunderstand her. “Look, there are so many parcels there. I was thinking that you and Zijin would arrive today, so I decided not to open them for you. If I did, everything might just get messed up.”
More importantly, Ding Jiayi’s relationship with Qiao Dongliang was no longer like before. As such, Ding Jiayi dared not open Qiao Dongliang’s things without his permission for fear of being scolded. In the past when their relationship had been cordial, there was nothing of Qiao Dongliang that Ding Jiayi had not dared to touch.
“Alright.” Thinking about how he had already talked to his neighbors, Qiao Dongliang immediately cut open the packages after having his drink. “These clothes are for the new year. You can bring it back to your room.” Qiao Dongliang easily removed a set of female clothes and handed them to Ding Jiayi.
All he said was that the set of clothes was for Ding Jiayi, but he had not mentioned who had paid for them. Even so, all three people in the house knew clearly that no one other than Qiao Nan would be willing to spend money on buying new clothes for Ding Jiayi.
After Qiao Dongliang retired, he received a pathetically small pension. In the capital, Qiao Dongliang’s monthly pension was probably not even enough to buy a piece of clothing, let alone a full set. “Oh right, be more careful when you wear those clothes. It’s… not cheap.”
Qiao Dongliang felt the pinch at the thought of its price. If not for the fact that Qiao Nan had already bought them by the time he learned about it and that it was inconvenient to get a refund, he would never have allowed Qiao Nan to buy such expensive clothes. Anyway, all clothes looked about the same. The same thing could go for just a few hundred under another brand in Ping Cheng, but they had cost four-figures in the capital. Just a coat had cost almost three thousand yuan!
Even if Ding Jiayi had been a good mother, Qiao Dongliang would still have thought that it was unsuitable for Qiao Nan to buy such an expensive coat for Ding Jiayi. But Ding Jiayi had not even been a good mom. What right did she have to enjoy such benefits?
Ding Jiayi was not blind and naturally saw the brand new tag on the clothes. Seeing the four-figure price tag, Ding Jiayi could not help but feel her heart ache as well. “Was there a discount?”
“A discount?” Qiao Dongliang sneered. “Of course not. How could there have been a discount? Unfortunately, I wasn’t there. If I had been there, I would never have allowed her to buy such clothes for you. Ding Jiayi, touch your heart if you even have one. Do you think you deserve such things from Nan Nan? Remember how you wronged Nan Nan and think about all these things that she bought for you. Don’t always be so shameless!”
His identity card, bus ticket, and money had all been stolen by Ding Jiayi. Because of that, he had wasted several bus tickets. Qiao Dongliang was still angry over that matter. They had amounted to several hundred yuan! He could have spent that sum of money on some nice clothes for his grandchildren, but Ding Jiayi had ruined all of that.
Ding Jiayi’s face heated up. She had never worn such expensive clothes in her entire life. When Qiao Zijin had married well, she had asked Qiao Zijin to buy her a coat that cost about eight hundred yuan. Then, Qiao Zijin had said that winter was about to pass and that coat would be out of season. Then, it would be let off at a discounted price.
Ding Jiayi enjoyed wearing clothes of good quality. She didn’t have high standards. It was just this one thing that she allowed herself to splurge on. The most expensive piece of clothing that Qiao Zijin had ever bought her cost only three hundred yuan. Nothing had ever gone over five hundred yuan. On the other hand, Qiao Nan had spent almost three thousand on a piece of clothing for her. Ding Jiayi momentarily felt as though something had been caught in her throat and she could not utter a single word.
Qiao Zijin, who was standing by the side, rolled her eyes. Her parents were seriously easily bribed. When had her mother ever been so easily moved and satisfied? Why was she so moved by a piece of clothing that cost just a few thousand yuan? Now, imported clothes cost more than ten thousand yuan for a single piece of clothing! If Qiao Nan was truly generous, why hadn’t she bought those clothes instead?
Her parents were truly not intelligent enough. That was why they were so easily moved after seeing that the things Qiao Nan had bought were slightly expensive.
No matter how disdainful she felt, Qiao Zijin was not going to let go of what ‘should’ be hers.. Even though Qiao Nan had not bought clothes that cost over ten thousand yuan, those that cost even just a thousand yuan were considered expensive in Ping Cheng.