Chapter 242 - Would Not Change
“Sure enough, knowing a person by their repute is not as good as meeting them face to face.” A guest should be treated with politeness, yet Ding Jiayi’s attitude was unwelcoming. The wife that Old Qiao married was more unreasonable than what he heard. She did not know basic courtesy at all.
“Old Yang, I am sorry for the wait.” Qiao Dongliang heard sounds at the door and came out of the house. He gave Ding Jiayi a cold glance and moved his belongings onto Old Yang’s tricycle. “I am sorry for making you run this trip. It’s been hard on you.”
“It’s okay. Let me help you.” Old Yang came down from the tricycle and went into the Qiao’s residence. “You only have these few pieces of belongings?” It seemed that Qiao Dongliang did not have much to move to the new house.
“Yes, that’s all.”
“Okay. Old Qiao, you can take a rest. I can move them by myself. Where’s Nan Nan?”
Right then, Qiao Nan came out of the room with her bag. “Uncle, how are you?”
“You must be Nan Nan. You are very pretty-looking. Old Qiao, you are blessed with such a good daughter.” Old Yang gave Qiao Dongliang a thumbs-up. “Nan Nan, what else do you have? I will give you a hand.”
“These are everything that I have.”
“Okay, leave it to me.” Old Yang moved several of their bags at a time. When he lifted Qiao Nan’s bag which contained her clothes, he was a little surprised at how light the bag was. He had thought that as a young lady, she would have more clothes.
“Dongliang, you… what are you doing? And you, put down our belongings right now. Let go!” Ding Jiayi, who entered the house, panicked and rushed to snatch Qiao Dongliang’s bag from Old Yang.
“Dad, aren’t those your and Nan Nan’s belongings? Why is a stranger taking your belongings?” Qiao Zijin looked stiff. There was not a hint of a smile on her face.
A thought came to her mind. She ran to Ding Jiayi’s side and held on to her clothes.
Old Yang was a man, and he was stronger than Ding Jiayi. There was no way that she could snatch the bags away from him.
Qiao Dongliang pulled at Ding Jiayi while Old Yang brought out their bags and placed them on the tricycle. Seeing that the father and daughter did not have many belongings and his tricycle had more than enough space for their bags, Old Yang could not help but sigh and shake his head. Old Qiao must have had a difficult time living with a woman who wasted their money away.
“Dongliang, Dongliang, y-you… what are you doing?” Ding Jiayi’s eyes turned red. She was scared out of her wits.
“Since you can’t stand the sight of Nan Nan, Nan Nan and I will move out of the house. In the future, Zijin and you will stay in this house. Both of you can create havoc for all you want, I will not be bothered.” Qiao Dongliang said coldly.
“No, no, I didn’t say that I cannot stand the sight of the wretched… I didn’t say that I cannot stand the sight of Qiao Nan. I am the one who gave birth to her. Even though I may be fierce to her, I love her dearly deep down inside! Qiao Nan, in all fairness, have I been good to you? Did I provide you with food and clothes?” Ding Jiayi grabbed Qiao Dongliang’s hands, similar to how Qiao Zijin pulled at her clothes.
Qiao Dongliang shrugged off her hands, refusing to be in contact with Ding Jiayi. “Stop it. Don’t force Nan Nan. When you demand that she be fair and tell the truth, you should do the same first. If you loved Nan Nan, would you accuse her of being a thief who stole from the Zhai’s residence? You also made sure that you brought the three gossipmongers from the quad with you! Ding Jiayi, do you think that we are all fools and you are the only one who is clever? You are downright shameless to say that you love Nan Nan. Did you even do a single thing that is for the good of Nan Nan? Nan Nan, let’s go.”
“Okay.” Qiao Nan, who remained silent, carried her schoolbag and walked outside.
“No, I won’t let you go. Dongliang, you can’t go. If you are gone, what will happen to Zijin and me?” Ding Jiayi sobbed, her face covered in tears and snots. She was a terrible sight to behold. “Dongliang, don’t be angry. Don’t leave us. If you have anything that you are upset with, tell me and I will change.”
“Change?” Qiao Dongliang sneered. “Do you believe you could? Anyway, I don’t believe it.”
After he had called the police last time, though Ding Jiayi said that she had learned her mistakes, she reverted to her old ways in less than a month!
Thinking of what happened this morning, Qiao Dongliang shut his eyes and thought to himself. Ding Jiayi was hopeless!
“Dad, don’t go.” Qiao Zijin was in tears as well. She refused to let go of his hands. “Dad, I am your daughter too. Why do you take Nan Nan with you and leave me here? Dad, are you abandoning me? I am your favorite daughter and you doted on me! I… I have not done anything wrong. Dad, don’t leave me behind. Dad, don’t go. Don’t ignore Mom and me.”
Qiao Dongliang’s heart ached at the sight of Qiao Zijin who had burst into tears and turned hoarse from crying. Ever since she was little, Zijin had been leading a pampered life. Everything went well for her. He had never seen her in such despair. As parents, how could Qiao Dongliang not feel the pain?
As soon as Qiao Dongliang softened his attitude, Qiao Zijin tightened her grip on Qiao Dongliang’s arms and cried out loudly. “Dad, Mom and I can’t live without you. Dad, don’t leave. Dad, I won’t let you go!”
Qiao Nan kept her silence. With her schoolbag on her back, she tightened her grip on the straps of the bag and turned to walk out of the Qiao’s residence, leaving the three of them to themselves. “Uncle Yang, could you please move my dad’s belongings down? My dad is not leaving. I will go now. Could you send me to the place my dad has rented?”
The reason why her father wanted to leave with her could be that he knew that after what happened today, it was unlikely that she would stay in this house again. He would be worried if she was to live alone. Hence, he decided to leave with her.
As long as she stayed in the place her father had rented, he could visit her when he was worried about her. In that case, her father would be assured that she was doing well.
“Your dad is not leaving with you? Nan Nan, are you going alone? Is it appropriate?” Old Yang asked in surprise.
“It’s okay. I can go alone.” With her gone, this house might be more harmonious.
“Nan Nan, are you sure to leave your dad’s belongings behind?” Old Yang asked uncertainly.
“Yes.” With that, Qiao Nan decided to move the bags by herself. She took Qiao Dongliang’s bag of clothes from the tricycle and put it on the ground. When she left, her mother and Qiao Zijin would definitely move his belongings into the house right away. Her father would not even need to move it by himself.
“Dad!”
“Dongliang, don’t leave!”
All of a sudden, Qiao Zijin and Ding Jiayi shouted from inside the house. Qiao Dongliang walked out of the house steadfastly. “Nan Nan, why did you move my things down? Old Yang, let’s go now.”
“Scram! Both of you get out of my house right now! You are determined to tear our family apart!” A screaming Ding Jiayi dashed out of the house frantically. She raised her hand in a bid to hit Qiao Nan and Old Yang.