Chapter 1523: You Have to Provide For Me Too

She always felt that Qiao Nan would definitely mock her if she were to get a divorce. “I-I haven’t decided if I’ll get a divorce.”

“Whether you’ve decided is between you and the Zhou family. I don’t care.” Qiao Nan no longer mentioned Qiao Zijin and turned to look at Ding Jiayi. “How about you?”

“What do you mean by you or me? Who am I to you for you to address me like that? Where have your manners gone? You are a university graduate. Did your teacher teach you that?” Ding Jiayi’s expression changed and she was upset. From the time they met, Qiao Nan had never even addressed her as ‘mom’. What did she mean? Was she disowning her?

Dream on!

Qiao Nan laughed coldly. “Excuse me. My teacher taught me quite well, but unfortunately, parents are ultimately the first teachers in their children’s lives and also the most important ones. My mother gave birth to me but never taught me well, so please excuse me.” Qiao Nan was unconfident of being so impolite to anybody else but Ding Jiayi alone.

Was this all not because of Ding Jiayi? “If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, I’m leaving.”

“Don’t leave!” Ding Jiayi quickly stopped Qiao Nan. “I have something to say. Of course I have something to say. Otherwise, do you think I’m so free to come all the way to the capital to find you? You’ve had your father here in the capital for quite a few years, haven’t you? Your dad had you, but I was the one who carried you for ten months. I had it much harder than him. Now that you’ve made it in life and could provide for your father, don’t you think you should provide for your mom too?”

“So the thousand yuan that I give you every month doesn’t count?” Qiao Nan laughed out of anger. Since Qiao Nan was young, Ding Jiayi had always been a housewife. Because of the country’s compulsory nine-year education, she had studied for nine years without spending much money. At most, she only had to pay for her textbooks. Even with that, her mother had secretly sold all her books.

When she entered high school, the two of them started to live separately. From then on, she had not eaten a single grain of rice cooked by Ding Jiayi.

Her parents had not fulfilled their responsibilities as parents. It was good enough that she was willing to support them, yet she dared to say that the money she spent on Ding Jiayi was way more than what Ding Jiayi had ever spent on her.

“It’s only a thousand yuan. What can I even do with that?” Ding Jiayi commented insincerely. In a small city like Ping Cheng, Ding Jiayi could actually lead a comfortable life with a thousand yuan and did not need to go out to work. “Now that you’re an important official, your future is bright and you don’t lack anything. Why can’t you think about your biological mother and let me have a good life like you?”

“Oh, is the world coming to an end? Haven’t you always said that the only one of your two children who can let you enjoy life is Qiao Zijin? If you want a good life, wait for your eldest daughter to be filial to you. She’s already in her thirties. You’ve been waiting for quite a long time. She should be able to let you live a good life soon. I’m not going to get involved.”

Qiao Nan’s words were words of anger that she had suppressed for two whole lifetimes.

She really did not understand. It was Ding Jiayi herself who said that only Qiao Zijin was a smart and obedient child who had an unbridled future. So between her and Qiao Zijin, only Qiao Zijin would be filial to Ding Jiayi and let her lead a good life.

If that was the case, why had Ding Jiayi never taken a single cent from Qiao Zijin? Instead, she had always been asking Qiao Nan for money to take care of Qiao Zijin! While Qiao Zijin was still studying, Ding Jiayi had to provide for her. After Qiao Zijin got married and had children, Ding Jiayi was still providing for her through her salary.

It had been two lifetimes. Every time this time came around, Qiao Nan was curious as to whether Ding Jiayi really felt that there was nothing wrong with the way she lived and the words she had just spoken.

Ding Jiayi smiled. She had indeed said that before, and not just once. Rather, before she separated from Old Qiao, she had said this for several years in front of her two children. “It’s all in the past. Why do you still take it to heart? What? Do you want to settle these old debts?”

“No, I don’t intend on doing that.” Qiao Nan calmed down quickly. With her arms around her chest, she looked at Ding Jiayi with an att.i.tude of rejection. “I’m just reminding you that it’s good to have your own opinions, but when you’re too idealistic and have such requests, I think you should change your target and ask someone else. It’s best if you ask the daughter whom you think so highly of. I can’t stand it. You looked down on me, and I almost couldn’t study because of you. You gave birth to me, but after high school, we didn’t even meet. I have nothing to do with you. At most, I’ll just give you the most minimal support. As for all those high hopes and expectations, it’s best you leave it to your beloved daughter to fulfill them.”

The living expenses that she gave Ding Jiayi every month was slightly more than what an average worker earned monthly. She dared say that based on Ding Jiayi’s att.i.tude toward her since she was young and the hostility between the two of them, she was already the best daughter that she could be. As for anything more, she was sorry that she could not and would never agree to them.

Ding Jiayi restrained her anger, took a deep breath, and smiled forcefully. There was no other choice. The money was Qiao Nan’s. If she did not coax Qiao Nan a little, even if Qiao Nan’s pockets were overflowing with money, she would not get a dime. “Qiao Nan, don’t get upset. Wasn’t that all in the past? You’re a student from Peking University. Your sister graduated from a third-cla.s.s university. How can she be better off than you? Your mom can’t count on your elder sister to provide for her retirement. I can only count on you. I was foolish in the past. Please don’t take issue with that.”

Qiao Nan raised her hand and declared bankruptcy patiently. “All right. Just spit it out. I will do it if I should. If I shouldn’t, don’t even dream of it.”

“I want to stay here in the capital too. You have to provide for me.” Ding Jiayi chattered, finally explaining her intentions.

They were both the parents of this stupid girl, but why was it that Old Qiao could stay in the capital while she could only live in Ping Cheng? She lived in Ping Cheng in a house that was hers, so she did not have to pay for rent. The rent for Old Qiao’s house in the capital was surely paid for by Qiao Nan. Old Qiao did not have so much money to do so.

The thought of Qiao Dongliang spending more than her on his rent every month upset Ding Jiayi. If Qiao Dongliang could spend that much money, why couldn’t she? She could only spend more than Qiao Dongliang, not any less. After all, she had carried Qiao Nan for ten months in her tummy.

To give birth to this daughter, she had worked so much harder than Qiao Dongliang. But why was it that Qiao Dongliang was being treated better than she was?

“Fine.” Qiao Nan bit the corner of her lip. She had expected this day to come. Ding Jiayi would never give up a good opportunity. Compared to the past life, Ding Jiayi’s temper had already improved, seeing that she had been able to endure it for so long before coming up from Ping Cheng. But even so, she was still as annoying.