“How could that be?” Qiao Dongliang denied adamantly. He was not as muddleheaded as Old Ding. “But Nan Nan, you must understand, if there’s peace at home everything will prosper! You should know your Mom’s temper, you can’t possibly ask her to apologize to you?”
They were one family, they could not possibly stay at loggerheads with each other forever?
“Even if Mom is wrong, I would still need to obey, listen to her and please her?” Her father did not seem happy when she did that in her previous life.
“I am not asking you to obey your Mom… ” Qiao Dongliang had a terrible headache. If Nan Nan was to obey Old Ding in whatever she asked, the house might be even more chaotic.
“What does Dad want me to do? When Mom reprimanded me for being lazy and that I should have let sister copy my essay, I did not even say a word. Dad, am I not submissive enough? Which areas should I improve on? You can tell me and I will change.” Qiao Nan spoke in an exceptionally calm voice, in a composed manner that was beyond people her age.
The more Qiao Nan appeared to be calm and composed, the more Qiao Dongliang felt guilty.
Qiao Dongliang used to think that as children, they were obligated to obey their parents. Since Old Ding was muddleheaded, Qiao Nan would just have to suffer in silence.
It might sound irresponsible, but it was Nan Nan’s fault to have such a mother.
But when he looked into Qiao Nan’s dark eyes, her calm and still expression halted him in his tracks. It was as if his mouth had been glued. No words came out of his mouth.
If Qiao Nan threw tantrums and cried in anguish, Qiao Dongliang could chide her for being disobedient and insensible. But Qiao Nan stayed silent all the while, Qiao Dongliang didn’t know what to say.
He tried multiple times to persuade Qiao Nan, but he could not make any sound.
Given Ding Jiayi’s personality, there was no way that Qiao Dongliang could persuade Qiao Nan. He had reached a dead end.
If Qiao Nan was to give in to Ding Jiayi, there would not be any chance that she could continue with her studies. She would be responsible for writing essays for Qiao Zijin to copy.
But this was against Qiao Dongliang’s world views. In that case, how could he tell his daughter to obey his wife? And what exactly should she do to obey her?
Qiao Dongliang had no answers to his own questions, he was lost in thoughts.
After a while, an upset Qiao Dongliang said in disgruntlement, “All of you have such a bad temper.”
With that he returned to his room.
His wife would not listen to him, and his daughter had her own views, she would no longer listen to her parents.
He could no longer take his wife and daughter in hand.
Qiao Nan could hear the censure from Qiao Dongliang’s words, she twitched her lips in self mockery. No matter what, she would no longer give in to her mother and Qiao Zijin. That was impossible!
If her parents knew that she had done the essay incident on purpose, she wondered how her parents would react.
But Qiao Nan was not foolish. She would not admit it out of her own accord and invite trouble for herself.
She returned to her room right after Qiao Dongliang left.
But in a while Ding Jiayi came storming in.
Without a word, Ding Jiayi searched through Qiao Nan’s schoolbag, throwing all the contents onto the bed, searching through them book by book.
“Mom, what are you doing?” Was her mother so furious about Qiao Zijin’s incident that she wanted to tear up her textbooks.
“Dad!” Qiao Nan knew that there was no way that she could stop her Mom, she could only shout for his help.
But Qiao Dongliang was still angry over the incident just now. Upon hearing Qiao Nan’s call for him, he stayed in his room and did not utter a word.
“Let me ask you, where’s your essay book?” After searching through all the books, Ding Jiayi could not find the essay book that Qiao Zijin mentioned. She demanded it from Qiao Nan, “Give your essay book to me. From now on, you are not allowed to use any of the essays in your essay book, do you understand? If there’s a next time, I will not let you off. Hurry up, hand me your essay book!”
Qiao Nan smirked at Ding Jiayi. “I don’t have it!”
“Don’t have it? I don’t believe you. Give it to me now. If not don’t blame me for being unruly!”
“Even so I do not have it with me!” Qiao Nan ran out of the room. “Dad, Mom wanted to tear up my books!”
“You wretched girl…”
“What, Old Ding!!!” Qiao Dongliang bellowed and rushed out. “Old Ding, I didn’t flare up recently but that doesn’t mean that I am good tempered!”
“When did I say that I want to tear up her books? I merely wanted her to give me her essay book and not to use them in future.” Ding Jiayi glared at Qiao Nan furiously. This wretched girl lied to frame her.
“Dad, do you think I should hand them over?” Qiao Nan was not afraid of Ding Jiayi, she turned and asked Qiao Dongliang.
“What’s there to give, don’t give them to her. There are other components besides essays in the college entrance exams. Even if Qiao Zijin could copy Qiao Nan’s essay, there is no way that Qiao Nan could sit for the other exams on her behalf? You are so foolish.” Qiao Dongliang chided Ding Jiayi.
“I don’t care. It would be good if Zijin can do better for her essay. When you are in high school, every mark matters. I will do whatever I can to help Zijin. Besides it would not kill her to help her biological sister. Why is she so stingy? That’s the only way that she can be of use at home.” Ding Jiayi refused to listen to reason.
“Come out with me.” Since Qiao Dongliang could not talk reason into Ding Jiayi, he could not be bothered to talk sense into her anymore. He stepped into Qiao Nan’s room and dragged Ding Jiayi out with him. “Nan Nan, keep an eye on your books in the future, if the worst comes to worst, don’t bring them home.”
Qiao Dongliang had no other choice. There was no way that his wife would change her ways until she had gotten what she wanted.
Qiao Dongliang had a sudden thought, it might be a good idea for Qiao Nan to put all her books elsewhere.
Nan Nan could no longer take things lightly. His wife was beyond reasons, she would go ahead to take Nan Nan’s stuff without any reasons.
Before this Qiao Dongliang was still angry at Qiao Nan. But after looking at Ding Jiayi’s unruly behavior just now, all his anger had dissipated.
Nan Nan was plain unlucky to have such a mother like Old Ding.
“Oh, I understand.” Qiao Nan was relieved that Qiao Dongliang seemed to have cooled down.
Even though her father might be fickle minded at times, but Qiao Nan knew that he was the only one in the family who would defend her. If she enraged and offended him, Qiao Nan would have an even more difficult time at home.
Qiao Dongliang dragged Ding Jiayi away after Qiao Nan’s affirmative answer.
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