Chapter 586: Chapter 399: Family? (5000+) _3
Mom and Aunt Xiaoying had a tight bond since childhood, but even knowing the other was in the wrong, she would still insist on helping, which had nothing to do with their close relationship.
Mom was a full ten years older than Aunt Xiaoying; as the saying goes, “an elder sister is like a mother.” When they were little, Aunt Xiaoying was practically raised by Mom, so their sisterly affection was even stronger than their bond with their parents.
In the first few years of Aunt Xiaoying’s marriage, the sisters’ relationship remained as innocent as ever, but ever since her father-in-law’s rise in the political world, overtaking and surpassing Father Qiao Shanren, the sisters’ bond had turned sour.
In front of Mom, Aunt Xiaoying would flaunt her husband’s capabilities from time to time. Mom, who cared about face, could only keep up with smiles and praise until she married into the military family of the Qiao Family, breaking that pattern and reestablishing her prestige in front of her younger sister.
Perhaps because she had once been surpassed by her sister, Mom was especially concerned with saving face in front of her, and yet she had no choice but to give face to Mom.
She and her younger brother were brought up single-handedly by their mom. She was not unaware of all the hardships Mom endured for them. Apart from vanity, Mom didn’t have any other faults, and besides, a lifetime’s temperament wasn’t something she could change.
As her children, all she could do was to comply with Mom’s wishes as much as possible.
She could help with the Aunt Xiaoying situation, but only to the extent of investigating the Lin Family’s background. Beyond that, she would not intervene. She couldn’t do something against her conscience just for Mom’s face, nor could she let her husband’s family suffer a loss in prestige for it.
After finishing her shift, she went to pick up her daughter Miaomiao from school, only to run into her husband Qiao Ningjiang at the school gate, to which she asked in surprise, “How come you are here?”
“We have guests at home, and Grandma called, asking me to come home early. She was worried you and Miaomiao might wander off on the way, so I came to wait for you at the school,” he replied.
“How annoying!” Qiao Ying rolled her eyes at her husband, “I’m not a child. Why would I wander off?”
“Hehe…” Qiao Ningjiang just laughed, “I missed my wife and my daughter, and I wanted to see you both sooner so we could go home together.”
Qiao Ying, startled, quickly glanced around. Fortunately, a few parents picking up their children were at a distance. While she sighed with relief, she also gave her husband a glare, “Stop talking nonsense, or I’ll go home first.”
“I’m telling the truth…” Seeing that his wife was really about to leave with the stroller, Qiao Ningjiang hurriedly grabbed the back of her seat, “Alright, alright, I’ll stop. Miaomiao will be out soon. She has been looking forward to both her dad and mom picking her up.”
“By the way, who are the guests at home? Do I know them?” asked Qiao Ying, sensing that the guests must be very important for her mother-in-law to call them home so formally, which made her curious.
“It’s the Eldest Uncle’s family from Great-Uncle’s side,” he said.
“No wonder,” Qiao Ying said with a confused expression, “Why would the Eldest Uncle’s family come at this time?”
“I don’t know,” Qiao Ningjiang shook his head, “The only thing Grandma said on the phone was that the Eldest Uncle’s family from Great-Uncle’s side had arrived and asked us to come home early. She didn’t elaborate on anything else.
Stop guessing, we’ll find out when we get back. Besides, you’ll get to meet the Eldest Uncle’s family. You haven’t seen them since you married into the family.”
“Yeah, every time it just so happened that I missed them. But now that I think about it, it’s been five or six years since Grandma and the Eldest Uncle have seen each other, right?” Qiao Ying said with a hint of regret.
“Six years,” sighed Qiao Ningjiang, “Now that it’s all in the past, we should be able to see each other more often in the future. Ah, what was all that before? Relatives not acting like relatives, friends not being friends.”
“Keep your voice down,” Qiao Ying warned in a lowered voice, “Haven’t you heard that loose lips sink ships?”
Qiao Ningjiang just smiled at her, “I’ve checked, there’s no one around, don’t worry.”
“There’s something I need your help with…” Qiao Ying then explained to Qiao Ningjiang in detail the matter of Mom asking her to help Aunt Xiaoying.
He was already aware of the issues between his mother-in-law and her sister, so he readily agreed and comforted his wife, “It’s alright, we’re just checking into their background, we’re not helping her to harm anyone. You don’t need to feel too burdened by it.”
“I know…” Qiao Ying replied with a wry smile, “But I still feel uncomfortable about it.”
Qiao Ningjiang patted his wife’s shoulder silently.
Seeing her parents from afar, Miaomiao flew over like a joyful little swallow and jumped straight into Qiao Ningjiang’s arms, “Daddy, how could you bear to come pick me up?”
Qiao Ying deliberately put on a stern face, “Mommy comes to pick you up every day, yet you’ve never been this affectionate with mommy?”
“Is mommy jealous of daddy? Giggles…”
The child’s unique laughter immediately lifted Qiao Ying’s spirits, and the family of three returned home talking and laughing, it was just six o’clock.
“The road home seems especially short when daddy and mommy are together,” the little girl remarked as she got off her father’s car seat, seemingly reluctant for the trip to end.
“When we have time, daddy will come to pick you up with mommy again,” Qiao Ningjiang said.
As Qiao Ningjiang’s words fell, Miaomiao had already flown back home, shouting as she went, “Great-grandfather, Great-grandmother, I’m back…”
“This child…” Qiao Ningjiang shook his head helplessly, looking at his wife, “As soon as she sees Great-grandfather and Great-grandmother, she immediately forgets about daddy and mommy.”
“Okay, you’re even jealous of grandpa and grandma. Do you have no shame?” Qiao Ying laughed as she parked the bicycle and entered the house with her husband.
As soon as the outer door opened, they could hear the merry laughter inside, Miaomiao’s small figure dashed out quickly, “Daddy, mommy, hurry up, there’s a sister who’s so, so pretty at home. When I grow up, I want to be as pretty as her…”
“Did you say hello?” Qiao Ying chided.
“No, I saw sister as soon as the door opened, and I just wanted daddy and mommy to see her too,” Miaomiao tugged at her parents’ hands, pulling them into the house.
As they all entered, everyone looked over.
Sitting in the center of the living room, the white-haired elderly lady cheerfully beckoned to the family of three, “Ning Jiang, Xiaoying, bring Miaomiao over to meet your Eldest Uncle and Eldest Uncle’s Wife, Big Brother and Sister-in-law, Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law.”
“Doctor Qiao?” As soon as Qiao Ying entered, Chuxia’s family recognized her, and at that moment, Zhao Yulan excitedly stepped forward to shake her hand, “I never imagined we’d be related. This is truly unexpected.”
Qiao Ying, her mind momentarily short-circuiting, reflexively shook hands with her, unable to utter a single word…
Chuxia stepped forward and took her other hand, “Doctor Qiao, I didn’t expect such a coincidence.”
“Yes, after Ning Jiang got married, we visited once and missed his wife. This really is… “Grandpa Lin chuckled while looking towards the puzzled old lady, “Auntie, your daughter-in-law here is Zhiliang’s primary doctor, can you believe such a coincidence exists in the world?”
“Hahaha…” The old lady laughed heartily, “This just proves that we’re family. Xiaoying, come sit next to grandma. You’re a great hero in our family, hahaha…”
Qiao Ying looked around awkwardly, at a loss for words. Her heart was filled with a mix of emotions. Now, she had something to tell her mom and her aunt, sigh…
Children have a natural fondness for beauty, and as soon as Miaomiao entered the room, she held onto Chuxia’s hand and wouldn’t let go. Her little head tilted, she stared straight at Chuxia, murmuring, “Great-grandmother, I want to be as pretty as sister when I grow up. I don’t need to be prettier than her, just as pretty will do.”
Qiao Ying quickly said, “Miaomiao, you can’t call her sister, she is your little aunt.”
“What’s this child’s family ranking…” The old lady looked at her great-granddaughter-in-law with a mix of laughter and tears, “Chuxia is your Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law’s daughter, doesn’t that make her your niece, Miaomiao?”
Qiao Ying’s face instantly flushed red as a cloth, her mind still in a fog, completely unable to sort out the relationships in this big family… (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to give it your recommendation votes and monthly votes at Qidian (). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit to read.)