Chapter 39: Dare Not Want It

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

With these words, Qiao Dongliang went straight back to his room without bothering about Ding Jiayi’s reaction.

Ding Jiayi’s eyes welled up, tearing, she shouted at Qiao Nan, “This is all your fault, are you satisfied now? You’re a jinx, there’s no peace at home everyday because of you, did I somehow earn this in my previous life?”

Qiao Dongliang had insisted to see the passbook and found out about the matter because of Qiao Nan’s words. At the thought of this, Ding Jiayi vented all her frustration on Qiao Nan.

“Nan Nan, this time you are really too much, this is our biological Mom, how can you harm her like that?” Qiao Zijin was still jealous that Qiao Nan had the opportunity to get close to Zhu Baoguo and did her utmost to malign Qiao Nan.

“I am not sure if she is my biological mother, but I am certain that she is yours. Your grades are bad, she spent all the savings at home to let you continue your studies. My grades are never bad, yet she insisted that I quit school and work. Who is the one being owed to in the previous life, who is the one paying the debts?”

Qiao Nan could not tolerate this any further. She questioned Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin.

Even if she really owed Ding Jiayi, she had repaid her enough in her previous life. She was eventually driven to the grave by her own mother – she had even given her life to Ding Jiayi.

“Mom, you often say that I’m not good. Let me ask you, Sister is older than me, I do all the household chores at home, what does Sister do? After all, I am the servant waiting on others while Sister is the rich family’s daughter, so you picked me up from the roads, right? Though I didn’t say a word, it doesn’t mean that I do not know. You are biased towards Sister and spent all the money on her, yet you wanted to cajole me to work so that I can help you to mend this hole. Mom, in doing this, don’t you feel guilty?”

“You… ” Ding Jiayi was filled with guilt. “You, what nonsense are you talking about? I, I asked you to work, it’s really for your own good. Even if you do well in your studies, you may not be successful or be able to earn money in future.”

“Doing well in school may not give you a successful future, so we might as well join the workforce earlier. Mom, then with Sister’s average grades that are neither here nor there, aren’t you afraid that she will not be able to earn any money in future. Moreover, you dumped such a huge sum of money just to allow her to continue with these useless studies. Mom, I’m fifteen, not five, do you think I believe what you said?”

Qiao Nan was furious yet amused by Ding Jiayi’s words. Ding Jiayi actually said them – she was treating her like a three-year-old kid.

“Believe? Do I care if you believe me?” With Qiao Nan’s repeated pressurizing, Ding Jiayi was in a rage and simply spoke from her heart, “Let me tell you, you owe our family. If not for you, your Dad would still be in the army, holding the position of a Battalion Commander. I didn’t even mention myself; before I gave birth to you, I had a cradle-to-grave job. All these – aren’t they all your fault? Without you, would our Qiao family have turned out like this? This is all because of you – a jinx. It is because of you that I am unable to lift my head up before others. Tell me, you caused so much harm, you’re useless and only know how to waste the family’s money. If I don’t favor your Sister, then should I favor a jinx like you?”

Qiao Nan was antagonized and she laughed. “Don’t make it sound so nice. Did I beg you to give birth to a second child? Did you willingly give up all that you mentioned earlier for the sake of me – your daughter? It is for your son. You can only blame your disappointing womb. After you gave up everything that you were proud of, in the end, you still gave birth to a money-losing daughter. Right?”

Ding Jiayi not only often called Qiao Nan wretched girl, but also money-losing daughter.

“Mom, don’t think that I don’t know anything. When you pestered Dad to have a second child and persuaded him to leave the army, you said you were willing to do so for the sake of your son. You gave up everything for a son but finally gave birth to me – can you blame me for this? I can’t neither choose my gender nor my Mom – it’s the same reasoning!”

If there was a choice, she would not wish to be Ding Jiayi’s daughter, especially the younger daughter.

“You… How can you say that?” Ding Jiayi raised her hand and slapped Qiao Nan hard, until blood was dripping from the corner of Qiao Nan’s mouth.

Ding Jiayi was always thinking how good things would have been if only she had not given birth to Qiao Nan.

However, when she heard that the daughter whom she disliked also felt the same way, Ding Jiayi was furious and humiliated.

“Old Ding, are you mad?” Qiao Dongliang, who was feeling sullen in the bedroom, heard the argument between Ding Jiayi and Qiao Nan getting worse, and he came out of the room. The first thing that he saw was Ding Jiayi slapping Qiao Nan.

Qiao Dongliang pulled Qiao Nan to his side. “Didn’t you give birth to Qiao Nan, how can you beat your own daughter like that?”

“Did you not hear what she said earlier, she said I do not treat her as my daughter, does she treat me as her Mom? She doesn’t want me to be her Mom!” Ding Jiayi yelled, her neck straight.

“You have to reflect on your behavior first. Nan Nan was not wrong in what she just said. Me leaving the army and your resignation – can we blame her for that? Blame yourself, blame me! But Nan Nan, what you just said was also too much. No matter what, she is your mother. How can you say such things to hurt your Mom? Your Mom has a strong temper, her words are as sharp as a knife, but she actually loves and dotes on you.”

After Qiao Dongliang disciplined Ding Jiayi, he also reprimanded Qiao Nan. Both were biological mother and daughter but they argued as if they were enemies.

“Dotes on me, Dad, is there a mother that will dote on me so much?” Qiao Nan laughed. Earlier, her Dad was angry, but he still harbored hopes of harmony and prosperity in the family.

In this lifetime, she knew how to fight for herself and was not willing to give in. But her dad always wanted to to be the good guy, and play the middleman to the situation.

However, between her and her mother, there was an inseparable knot in their hearts. It was no longer possible for them to get along with each other for a single day in this entire lifetime.

“Dad, I had a fever before school started, do you know what I heard when I was lying on the bed in the bedroom? I heard Mom telling Sister that I have a wretched life, cheap and tough, I won’t die with a fever. As long as I was delayed in enrolling for school, they would cajole me into finding a job. Dad, you should know by now why Mom insisted that I find a job. If I work and earn money, will Mom allow me to save a cent? It is not enough to dump all the family savings on my sister, she still wants me to work and support my sister’s studies? Both are her daughters, why, is this how she dotes on me?”

Qiao Nan cried as she lamented. Her crying was more miserable than Ding Jiayi. “That day, my fever was so bad that I could not even get up. But my mother was so good, she bought a watermelon, Sister was hugging half of the watermelon and eating it with a spoon, all by herself. Sure, my mother really doted on me! I was sick and lying in bed, she threw away the medicine and refused to let me take it. I was so thirsty that I could not talk but there was no-one at home that would gave me a single mouthful of water. Dad, can you tell me why Mom dotes on me so much. Such a doting Mom, who dares to want, who has the life to do so?”