"There’s a way," Qin Mei said with certainty.
"There’s no way," Zhang Haoyuan insisted.
"I said there’s a way, so there’s a way," Qin Mei said domineeringly.
Zhang Haoyuan laughed self-deprecatingly. "What way could there possibly be?"
"The way I pave," Qin Mei said, arrogant and forceful.
Zhang Haoyuan’s heart skipped a beat. His breathing grew heavy, and his voice tightened as he asked, "Pave it with what?"
Qin Mei uttered a single, resonant word. "Money."
Money was a good thing. No matter the era, money made things happen.
That spark of hope reignited, burning fiercely. Zhang Haoyuan couldn’t resist it. "Why are you helping me?"
Last time, he had begged her, shamelessly calling her "mom," but she hadn’t given him a single cent. He had lost a finger because of it.
"For my sister-in-law," Qin Mei said.
Zhang Haoyuan was stunned. The answer seemed a bit far-fetched.
"You saw it yourself. My sister-in-law cares a lot about your parents. She wants them to live well. And you... you’re their greatest source of heartache. You’re their flesh and blood, something no amount of material comfort can replace," Qin Mei said.
Zhang Haoyuan fell silent.
By the time Jie Jingling finished reminiscing with the two elders, the sky had turned dark. In the moonlight, Qin Mei didn’t dare to give Jie Jingling a ride on her bicycle, so she had Jie Jingling give her a ride instead.
Jie Jingling was in low spirits. She didn’t say a single word the entire way back home.
Jie Jingchen and Jie Jinghun were waiting for them in the courtyard. Seeing them return, the two men stood up and went to greet them.
"Eldest Sister," said Jie Jinghun.
"Meimei," said Jie Jingchen.
"Third Brother, Fourth Brother, I’m tired. I’m going to my room," Jie Jingling said, forcing a smile at the two of them.
"Okay," the two said in unison.
But Jie Jingling didn’t go back to her room. She went straight to Mr. and Mrs. Xie’s room.
"Fourth Sister-in-law..." Jie Jinghun had just started to speak when Jie Jingchen cut him off.
"Don’t ask my wife. If you want to ask someone, ask Eldest Sister." Jie Jingchen pulled Qin Mei back to their room.
Jie Jinghun’s narrow eyes narrowed further, his gaze fixed on them without blinking.
"Meimei," Jie Jingchen said, looking at her with heartache as he gently wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Jie Jingsi, come on. Let’s go eavesdrop," Qin Mei said, not giving Jie Jingchen a chance to refuse as she pulled him out the door.
In the moonlight, Jie Jingchen saw Jie Jinghun crouching under their parents’ window. The corner of his mouth twitched, but he wasn’t surprised. Qin Mei froze for a moment. ’Third Brother is just as curious as we are.’
When Jie Jinghun saw the couple had also come to eavesdrop, he even made a "be quiet" gesture at them. The two were speechless.
"Jing Ling, get up. If you have something to say, just say it," Mrs. Xie’s gentle voice sounded.
"What are you doing?" Mr. Xie’s voice was stern.
Jie Jingling knelt ramrod straight but said nothing. She just knelt there, her heart in turmoil.
"Jing Ling." Mrs. Xie stood up to help Jie Jingling, but she wouldn’t budge, insistent on kneeling. "You child, what are you kneeling for? Get up, quickly."
"Dad." Jie Jingling finally spoke, her gaze sweeping past Mrs. Xie to lock onto Mr. Xie.
’Aunt Qiao is my stepmother. Helping me is a kindness, not helping is her right. Aunt Qiao is very good to me, so I can’t take advantage of her kindness and act recklessly. Dad is my biological father. Only Dad can help me.’
Mr. Xie’s expression froze. ’This is directed at me.’
His fourth daughter-in-law had taken her out. He knew exactly where they had gone. He was well aware that Jing Si and his wife were helping Old Zhang.
He couldn’t get involved in the Zhang family’s affairs, nor did he dare to. Jing Ling’s attitude right now clearly meant she wanted him to intervene.
"Jing Ling, get up," Mr. Xie said.
Jie Jingling took a deep breath and mustered her courage. "Dad, arrange a job for Zhang Haoyuan."
Mr. Xie’s thick brows furrowed deeper, and his expression grew more sullen. Arranging a job for Zhang Haoyuan was far more difficult than secretly helping him out. If it were an ordinary family, he would have arranged the job. But this was the Zhang family.
In the past, the Zhang family’s home was always crowded with visitors. Now, everyone avoided them like the plague.
"Jing Ling, I’m your father. Your biological father," Mr. Xie reminded her.
"It’s precisely because you’re my biological father that I’m begging you." Jie Jingling met Mr. Xie’s stern gaze. ’When I was little, I was afraid of him. I don’t know when, but that fear turned to hatred. Hatred for his foolish filial piety, hatred for his...’
Mr. Xie took a moment to compose himself. "I cannot arrange a job for Zhang Haoyuan."
"But you’re the factory director," Jie Jingling pressed, unwilling to give up.
"If I arrange a job for Zhang Haoyuan and someone reports me, I won’t be the factory director anymore." Mr. Xie paused before continuing, "Many people have their eyes on the director’s position. It looks glamorous, but it’s like walking on thin ice. If I make even one mistake and someone finds leverage against me, a single denunciation letter is all it would take to get me removed."
Jie Jingling fell silent, but her gaze remained stubbornly fixed on Mr. Xie.
Mr. Xie sighed, his face cold and his expression grim. "Being removed would be the least of it. It could make the Jie Family the next Zhang family. I would become the family’s disgrace."
"Dad, for my sake, I’m begging you. Please, take the risk and try. Can’t you?" Jie Jingling pleaded, still not giving up.
"Jing Ling, I’m begging you, don’t make things difficult for me." Mr. Xie would not compromise. He owed his eldest daughter, but he would not put the Jie Family in jeopardy for her sake.
Jie Jingling laughed. ’Am I disappointed? No, I’m not. This was exactly what I expected. What’s there to be disappointed about?’
On the way back, she had thought a lot. Even though she knew her father would never arrange a job for Zhang Haoyuan, she still came to beg him. It was simply so she wouldn’t have any regrets. She had done her best; she could face her teacher’s family with a clear conscience.
"Jing Ling, I know he was your teacher, but you weren’t exactly his star pupil. There’s no need to go this far for him. Your abilities are limited. You can’t clear the Zhang family’s name. If you occasionally help them out, the higher-ups will turn a blind eye. Also, as long as you don’t kick the Zhang family while they’re down, you can have a clear conscience," Mr. Xie persuaded.
Jie Jingling said nothing. She understood the logic, but...
"’A teacher for a day is a father for life.’ I admire your deep respect for your teacher’s kindness, but you can’t disregard your younger brothers’ and sister’s futures for his sake." Mr. Xie’s words were too heavy, crushing Jie Jingling until she could barely breathe.
Jie Jingling gave up. Just as she was about to stand, Mrs. Xie spoke up. "I’ll arrange it."
"Aunt Qiao." Jie Jingling straightened up from her kneeling position, shocked and bewildered, her gaze probing as she stared at Mrs. Xie.
"Yan Qiu," Mr. Xie’s expression was one of horror. "Are you crazy? That’s the Zhang family we’re talking about!"
"So what?" Mrs. Xie was the very picture of defiance.
The three eavesdroppers looked at each other in dismay. Jie Jinghun was astonished, but Jie Jingchen remained calm. Qin Mei wanted to applaud and shout, ’Mother-in-law is a badass!’
’Putting all other factors aside, when it came to guts, her father-in-law really couldn’t compare to her mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law was incredibly bold!’
"Yan Qiu." Mr. Xie’s head throbbed. He was terrified his wife would recklessly arrange a job for Zhang Haoyuan.
Qiao Yanqiu was his wife. If something happened to Qiao Yanqiu, he wouldn’t be able to get out unscathed. The Jie Family would suffer too.
"Jing Ling, get up. Your dad won’t help you, so I will. Your dad is afraid of trouble, but I’m not." Mrs. Xie shot Mr. Xie a cold glare and helped Jie Jingling to her feet.
Mr. Xie watched her resentfully. ’The Qiao Family is in Jiangxiang. She has a way out, but I don’t. The Jie Family has no escape route. She dares to risk it all. If something happens, she can flee, but what about me?’
’Yes, he and the children could flee with her to Xiangjiang, but what about his parents? They were old and supposed to be living out their twilight years in peace. If they were implicated, could their bodies handle the strain? Wouldn’t it be a death sentence for them?’
"Aunt Qiao, thank you." Jie Jingling was deeply grateful. She took a deep breath and refused, "There’s no need. I can’t implicate you."
Mr. Xie breathed a sigh of relief, though he felt a bit hurt. ’She’s so considerate of her Aunt Qiao, yet she makes things so difficult for me, her own father.’
Mrs. Xie stroked Jie Jingling’s hair. Jing Ling already had white hairs despite only being in her thirties. The child had suffered so much since she was young, and it made Mrs. Xie’s heart ache for her. "Jing Ling, I’m not afraid of being implicated."
"But I am," Jie Jingling said with a smile, giving Mrs. Xie a hug. "Aunt Qiao, it’s very late. I won’t disturb you and Dad any longer."
"AHH!" A scream suddenly pierced the night.