Luo Jun Liang had went to the cafeteria to grab a meal and came back. Seeing that his little wife was still sitting in the previous position, his expression froze.
He put the food he fetched on the table, walked over, and held her hand, "Dong He, what's wrong?"
Qiao Dong He came back to her senses, looked up at her husband's face, and answered, "I'm fine, but I'm a little worried that when Mom comes over, she will be dissatisfied with me."
Dissatisfaction was already putting it lightly.
Her mother-in-law will definitely be picky with her. Maybe even force her to drink all kinds of random things like before. Just the thought of it made her feel the dark days were coming.
Luo Jun Liang reassured her: "It won't. Although my mom has a strong personality sometimes, she is not the kind of person who doesn't distinguish between right and wrong. Not to mention that, I am here. I will not let her make it difficult for you!"
When Qiao Dong He heard her husband's words, her heart warmed. Her hand turned over and grasped back his hand, "Then you must remember what you said today!"
Luo Jun Liang touched her head with the other hand and said in a coaxing tone, "Then can we eat with ease now? Our expectant mother?"
Qiao Dong He's cheeks were slightly pink and she curved her lips into a smile.
Although the atmosphere was very warm, both hearts were drumming as neither of them had confidence in what would happen in the future.
——
This weekend, after Wang Xian Xian came home, she made a special trip to her maternal uncle's house.
Then she acted cute with him as usual: "Uncle, you have to help me. There is a girl in our dormitory who is so detestable. Just having some stinky money at home, she think she can laugh at me every day and give me attitude. I've had enough!"
Xiao Da Yang's parents died early. He was raised by his elder sister, who was Wang Xian Xian's mother.
Wang Xian Xian was his elder sister's youngest daughter from old age. She was very favored at home. He also held her in the palm of his hand since she was little and doted her as his own daughter.
Hearing that she was bullied at school, his immediately sunk: "It hasn't been long since you started to school and you're getting bullied? You guys are already a college student. Why are you still playing bullying like kids? I think such people don't need to go to college anymore. Just go home and farm the fields. Tell me the name and I'll talk to your school directors later!"
Wang Xian Xian looked proud: "Then I can just wait for the good news from Maternal Uncle!"
Her uncle was the director of the Education Department. Although the official position wasn't the highest, his involvement can definitely make Da Qiao get demerit, or be punished if drop out doesn't happen!
Da Qiao had upstage her a few times. She can't swallow this breath!
Xiao Da Yang knew that things may not be exactly as his niece said, but he was willing to spoil her. Besides, it must be the other girl who didn't have eyes. Why did she provoke Xian Xian?
He smilingly nodded: "Give me that girl's name. I'll go to your school sometime next week!"
Wang Xian Xian replied: "Her name is Qiao Nian Nian. Everyone call her Da Qiao. Pah, so shameless. Thinks she is a beauty in the Three Kingdoms era!"
She definitely won't admit that Da Qiao look better than her. Absolutely never!
Unexpectedly, Xiao Da Yang frowned when he heard this name: "Why is it her again?"
When Wang Xian Xian heard this, she came to a halt: "Maternal Uncle, what do you mean by this? Do you know her?"
This can't be. Da Qiao came from the countryside. She was the same age as herself. Her maternal uncle shouldn't know her.
Xiao Da Yang coughed. His eyes dodged a little and responded: "I don't know her. I just heard of her name. Heard that she is the top scorer in the provincial college entrance examination. You shouldn't fight against such a student."
What?!
As soon as Wang Xian Xian heard her maternal uncle's words, she exploded on the spot: "Maternal Uncle, what do you mean by that? Are you afraid of offending her, or do you want to protect her? She is bullying me, your niece!"
What was so great about being the top scorer of the college entrance examination? She was still a top scorer from the countryside. She must have no connections in the capital. She didn't understand what her maternal uncle was hesitating about!
He actually told her not to fight against her. It was Da Qiao who won't let her live well, okay?
Xiao Da Yang solemnly stated: "What nonsense are you talking about. In short, I'm telling you not to go against her. Just listen to me!"
After speaking, he stood up and left.
Wang Xian Xian stomped in anger.
In fact, she didn't know that the reason why her maternal uncle had such a reaction was because someone had mentioned Da Qiao's name to him before her.
Xiao Da Yang was already married with a son and a daughter. But he disliked his wife, who was old and sallow with out of shape body. So he found a woman outside and took care of her. That woman was Da Zhi.
That was right. The middle-aged man Da Qiao saw in the store that day was Xiao Da Yang.
After Da Zhi went back that day, the more she thought about it, the more angry she became. So she 'served' Xiao Da Yang well and made the other party very happy. Then she asked the other party to help teach Da Qiao and Huo Chi a lesson.
Xiao Da Yang agreed in an instant. In his opinion, they were just two college students. When the time came, he would go to their school and find excuses to punish them both.
Who knew that before he had time to act, he saw the boy named Huo Chi in the Education Department. He appeared in the Education Department Chief's office at that time!
Although he didn't know what the relationship between the education department chief and him was, the chief was very polite to the elder who came with the boy. He broke down in a cold sweat on the spot.
He had struggled up the Education Department for more than ten years and was just a small director. If he offend the relatives of the chief, he will not be able to eat and walk around!
He had privately inquired around; wanting to know if Huo Chi was a relative of the director. No one knew though. Those who knew wouldn't tell him.
Later, when he saw that the chief personally sending them out, he immediately dismissed the idea of wanting to teach the other party a lesson. After returning, he slapped Da Zhi twice and scolded her for almost causing trouble for himself!
So now his niece asked him to teach Da Qiao a lesson. If he really did that, wouldn't it be old man being impatient to live a.k.a. courting death?
Wang Xian Xian didn't know the cause and effect, let alone that her uncle raised a woman outside.
She only knew that her uncle had rejected her; meaning she couldn't sort Da Qiao out.
Simply infuriating!
——
Da Qiao didn't know what Wang Xian Xian wanted to do behind her back. After the weekend, she returned to school with Huo Chi.
Back in the dorm, Cai Ru Nan was excited to see her back: "You are finally back! My eyes are saved!"
During the two days off, she looked at Song Yu Lian's acne-prone face every day. Her eyes hurt from the sight.
She got to look at Da Qiao's face a few more times and make up for the weekend injury!
Song Yu Lian almost vomited blood when she heard her words.
Because of a few things in the past, her relationship with Cai Ru Nan completely broke down. They mutually found each other an eyesore. However, the two of them reached a consensus on a certain point, that was, they both felt that the other party was a flatterer!
Song Yu Lian examined Da Qiao and suddenly asked, "I really envy you people who live in the capital. Da Qiao, when you went back this time, your family should have made you a lot of food, right?"
Da Qiao nodded: "Quite a lot."
Her grandmother and grandfather couldn't wait to make her a full-scale banquet. Even her two younger brothers grabbed her hand and kept saying that she was thin. It gave her the impression that she had suffered a lot in school.
She didn't know whether to cry or laugh.
Song Yu Lian: "You have such a good relationship with Ru Nan and have so much to eat, didn't you bring some for her to eat?"
Da Qiao shook his head and calmly replied, "No."
She never thought about bringing something to the dormitory. She was willing to give Cai Ru Nan something to eat, but she didn't want to give it to Wang Xian Xian and the few. That was why she didn't bring anything.
In the future, when her relationship with Cai Ru Nan was better, she will just take her home to eat.
Song Yu Lian mocked, "I thought you had a good relationship with Ru Nan. Guess I was mistaken!"
Her tone was snarky. Cai Ru Nan retort back on the spot: "Eat, eat, eat. All day, you think about how to take advantage of others. If you want to be a beggar, don't make me. I don't make friends for the other party to give me food. I'm different from you, thank you!"
The relationship between Song Yu Lian and Wang Xian Xian was based on benefit. Because Wang Xian Xian would give her and Chen Xiao Lan some delicious food from time to time, they both back Wang Xian Xian.
In Cai Ru Nan's opinion, this was repulsive. It wasn't like she was so poor that she can't afford to eat. Why didn't she abandon dignity for a little snack?
Now she want to use this to disgust and destroy her relationship with Da Qiao. Unbearable!
Song Yu Lian's face flushed red: "You...you are spraying people with blood!"
Cai Ru Nan rolled her eyes and rebuked, "If you didn't drag me in, how can I criticize you?"
After she finished speaking, she turned to Da Qiao and said, "Da Qiao, don't listen to her. I don't need you to bring me any food. When I came to the university, my family had already given me enough living expenses. So I didn't need to beg for food like a beggar!"
You have to believe me, I'm friends with you because I really aim for your good look!
As long as you always look so good-looking, I will always be your most loyal supporter!
Da Qiao nodded: "Don't worry. I didn't misunderstand. I will take you to my house for dinner when I have the opportunity in the future. My grandfather's cooking is delicious!"
Although her culinary skills had improved a lot over the years, she still can't compare with her grandfather.
Every time she ate the hot and sour noodles her grandfather made for her, she felt full of energy!
Cai Ru Nan nodded her head like a pecking chick and said, "Okay, okay. You are so good-looking, your family members must be very good-looking too, right?"
Da Qiao pondered and nodded, "Still alright."
Except for little Dong Yun, everyone else was pretty good-looking.
When Cai Ru Nan heard this, her eyes shone as bright as a wolf at night.
Song Yu Lian secretly rolled her eyes a few times.
——
Classes start this week.
Although there were a few snarky people in the dorm, the classmates in the class treated her nicely. The two girls in the next class also had a good relationship with her.
During out of class hour, everyone laughed and joked. But once lecture time arrived, everyone worked very hard and focused. No one wanted to waste any time.
Da Qiao liked this learning atmosphere very much.
In this learning environment, she was like a sponge; desperately absorbing the knowledge imparted by teachers and professors.
Everything was fine, except that Professor Zhong Kang De was taking too much care of her.
It was unknown if it was because of Auntie Fang's instruction, Professor Zhong Kang De paid close attention to her. Every class, he picked and asked her to answer questions.
It was okay once or twice. But every time he picked her to answer. This was truly not needed. She just wanted to be a good student in a low-key manner.
But Professor Zhong Kang De didn't seem to understand her hints. He asked her to answer questions in every class as usual and let her be a distributer for anything. In the eyes of other students, she almost became the professor's little assistant.
The classmates in the class envied her very much.
Another person commented: "Da Qiao, you are very lucky. Professor Zhong wants to accept you as a disciple. After two years, you will be able to be his assistant teacher. When the time comes, it will be easy to directly take the postgraduate entrance examination of our school."
"Yeah. And Professor Zhong came back from abroad. I heard that many people want to be his postgraduate students and have no chance. How envious!"
Da Qiao: You don't understand. Every time Professor Zhong come over, he use the opportunity of doing errands to ask her about Auntie Fang.
Every time Professor Zhong asked her about Auntie Fang's news, it felt wrong to not say. It also didn't feel right to say.
Speak and it felt like betraying Auntie Fang. Not speak... This was their professor. What's more, the way the other party inquire was very polite. Gentle and not offensive at all.
She was in the spot!
From Yunlai Town to the capital city, it took ten days and ten nights by train. Dai Shu Fang's birthday arrived before Qiao Dong He's mother-in-law, who was still on the train.
Da Qiao and her grandparents went to Huo's house early in the morning with her two younger brothers, Dong Lin and Qiao An Jie.
Dai Shu Fang was exactly 40 years old this year. It was considered a major birthday mark. She had always said that she didn't want to celebrate her birthday because birthday will remind her she was one year older.
But how could everyone not give her a celebration. Still, they followed her wishes. Instead of going to the restaurant, they celebrated at home.
Qiao Family came over early in the morning to help prepare the meals. Although Huo Family hired an auntie to cook, her skills weren't comparable to those of Qiao Family.
This time, Da Qiao made a qipao for Auntie Fang. The embroidery on the qipao was completed under the guidance of her grandfather.
When Dai Shu Fang saw the cheongsam, she fell in love with it on the spot: "This qipao is gorgeous. Da Qiao, your hand is so skilled!"
Da Qiao pursed her lips and smiled: "It's great that Auntie Fang like it!"
Dai Shu Fang patted her head and smiled: "Of course Auntie Fang likes it. I'll change into it now!"
Dai Shu Fang was so delighted that she looked like a little girl who got a beautiful dress. She rushed to change into her qipao.