Wang Damei had originally intended to have Wang Qiqi step forward to discuss how to handle the matter of Wang Dagui and Li Cui's marriage. Although in the eyes of many, Wang Qiqi herself was still just a young girl, unmarried and unemployed, how could she possibly offer advice? If it had been in the past, people might have dismissed it as another farce orchestrated by Wang Dagui and Li Cui, merely hoping to extract money from Wang Qiqi. But now, the issue was that Li Cui was leaving with nothing, and her stance was resolute, which gave Wang Damei a severe headache, though it also brought her a measure of relief.

Whether Wang Qiqi would agree to sacrifice her own funds was one thing; Wang Damei herself was unwilling to indulge them further. If she kept spoiling them, they would truly have no room for maneuver or retreat. "Let them divorce then; am I supposed to stop Wang Dagui and the others from splitting up?" After a long pause, Wang Damei finally sighed deeply.

Even though the decision was made, Wang Damei felt a pang in her heart. "I wonder what Mom and Dad would think if they knew their favorite youngest son has turned out like this." Wang Damei and Wang Dajun had always supported their younger brother because when their parents passed away, Wang Dagui was still in school, and the elders had strictly instructed Wang Damei and Wang Dajun to take good care of him. They had done as they were told, but sadly, Wang Dagui hadn't turned out well. If he had the backing of a brother-in-law or an older brother ensuring his path, how could he have ended up like this?

Song Wenbo turned over, about to drift back to sleep. He knew his brother-in-law and sister-in-law hadn't left until past three in the morning. Whether the two of them went back to their respective homes or left together, Song Wenbo truly couldn't be bothered to care. But hearing his wife's sigh, he grew slightly impatient. "If I were Li Cui, I would have divorced him long ago. Look at what Wang Dagui was like before, and what he's like now. He really needs a lesson. Besides, Li Cui isn't asking for any property in this divorce." This struck Song Wenbo as genuinely odd. Li Cui was known for being fiercely attached to money; for her to propose leaving without any marital assets in such a major event as a divorce—only seeking a quick separation—was strange. While the fault lay with Li Cui for having an affair outside the marriage, making it normal for her to take less, the fact that she initiated this demand was what made Song Wenbo suspicious.

Wang Damei was troubled by the same point; she found it strange too. But then she thought, "You know how that couple is. How can I warn Wang Dagui? Should I tell him to be careful with the household savings? But then again, Li Cui has always managed Dagui's finances. If she had been preparing ahead of time..." It wasn't impossible for her to have secured some funds, and if that were the case, Wang Damei would finally be rid of a huge burden, having nothing left to manage. As for Wang Rui, unless she married Gao Kai, who else in this small city would be willing to take in such a girl, who was constantly embroiled in scandals, as a wife? Even if someone were willing, it would be a family of poor means. Wang Rui and her father might agree, but the Gao family had shown no signs of wanting to bring Wang Rui in as a daughter-in-law. That gathering at Song Yao’s wedding early this year, with Gao Kai and Wang Rui attending together, now looked purely like someone was trying to get close to Wang Qiqi. Otherwise, why would news surface that they were coming to the wedding right after Wang Qiqi announced she was returning for it? There was too much for people to ponder in this situation, perhaps only one particular family was too arrogant to face the truth.

"Alright, go back to sleep. Wang Dagui might even show up today. Oh, call Yao Yao and the others later; tell them to stay at Qiqi's place for the next few days," Song Wenbo said, "to save them the trouble of commuting back and forth every day." "Also, have Ziwen come back later to pick up his things; he only packed a few clothes yesterday." Adults could manage with less, but Tao Tao was still so young; they needed to prepare plenty for him.

"Ziwen will come back at noon to get them." Wang Damei wondered if Song Ziwen was usually so diligent. He was staying at Qiqi's place and surely enjoying himself, spending all day in the air conditioning. "Oh, right, Ziwen just said, Ziwen said..." Wang Damei hesitated on how to tell Song Wenbo what her son had mentioned during their phone call.

"Does he have another idea brewing?" Song Wenbo was quite satisfied with his son's current situation, his only dissatisfaction being his wife situation. "By the way, that girl you mentioned your friend introduced—you need to inquire properly. It doesn't matter if the family has no money, but their character must be good, not like Li Cui."

Wang Damei was displeased when she heard Song Wenbo say that. "What do you mean by that? The girl my friend introduced is quite good, gentle, and an excellent housekeeper..." Wang Damei's voice trailed off because Song Wenbo turned to stare at her. She knew if she continued, Old Song would likely start praising how wonderful Li Cui used to be all over again. "Oh, right, Ziwen just said Qiqi is going away for a few days soon. Do you know where?"

Going away? Song Wenbo found it strange. "Didn't she just go play around in Inner Mongolia right after the holiday started? Why is she going out again?" Sigh, with no adults to manage her and money in hand, she could really do whatever she wanted, ignoring everything. "Is she going to Xinjiang this time?" School is about to start; traveling all the way there by train means she’ll have to rush right back, won't she?

"Farther than Xinjiang. Guess again?" Wang Damei shook her head, determined not to reveal the answer, wanting Song Wenbo to forget about his earlier thoughts on their son's future girlfriend, lest he try to shift the blame onto her again.

Farther than Xinjiang? Song Wenbo thought about how much farther. "Doesn't that mean she's going abroad?" Then he reconsidered: given Wang Qiqi's capabilities, wouldn't going abroad be quite easy for her? "Isn't it popular now to go to Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore? When Da Jun and his wife were alive, they said they would definitely take her abroad after Qiqi got into university." If Wang Dajun and his wife were still here, they would be the ones worrying about all this; he and Damei would only need to speak their minds. They got the respect and the perks, but now they were the ones enduring all the troublesome matters. Song Wenbo couldn't fathom how Wang Dajun and his wife had managed all those years. If they hadn't passed away, Song Wenbo truly wanted to confront them and question them.

Wang Damei nodded. "Yes, she is going abroad, and to France." A trip to Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore would cost over ten thousand yuan, an amount that would make Wang Damei ache for a long time, let alone a trip to France.

France? Song Wenbo was stunned. "Ah, France? No, no, did you hear correctly? Is going abroad that easy?" Visas and whatever else—although Song Wenbo had never been abroad, he knew it wasn't simple.

"I don't know the specific arrangements." Wang Damei believed Song Ziwen wouldn't lie to her about this. "Ziwen even saw the plane tickets. But it's only for a few days. Apparently, an aunt of Qiqi's has some business to attend to abroad, so she's taking her friend and Qiqi along as translators. They're covering the airfare and accommodation." Knowing a foreign language is so useful; look, even going abroad is paid for by others. She herself, at her age, hadn't traveled abroad even a few times, let alone taken a vacation. Alas, one really shouldn't compare.

"People can't be compared. Besides, look how hard Qiqi works. Then look at our two children at home." Song Wenbo was also envious of his deceased brother-in-law. Even though they were gone, their daughter was so promising. "Instead of envying others, you should focus on raising your grandson and granddaughter well." What belongs to others is theirs; no amount of envy helps. "Oh, right, Yao Yao is planning to stay home for two years, so she should use that time to learn something. Even a housewife needs to learn things. Only by mastering the household finances can she not worry about Gong Peixing having ulterior motives."

Wang Damei rolled her eyes at Song Wenbo. Asking Yao Yao to study while taking care of a baby was something only Song Wenbo could dream up. "If you want to say something, say it yourself. You know your daughter's nature. She didn't study seriously in school; do you think she'll study seriously after getting married?" That's just daydreaming, or perhaps not waking up from a dream.

Song Wenbo left before Wang Dagui and his wife arrived, carrying a large backpack filled with clothes Wang Damei had packed for Tao Tao, his daughter's family, and Song Ziwen. "Don't go grocery shopping today; just eat what we have at home. If we keep treating them to rich meals every day, we won't be able to afford it." Daily feasts would only inflate their appetites.

"Got it. We'll have congee today; it'll be good for my digestion. You should eat your fill at the unit." Wang Damei also felt quite burdened.

"I'll eat at Qiqi's place and discuss matters then. Also, no matter what Wang Dagui says, asking Qiqi to come over to discuss things, don't pay any mind. He doesn't have the guts to go find Qiqi, so don't be the fool who steps in."

Wang Damei nodded. "I'll call Qiqi in a bit and have Song Yao go buy groceries." As for cooking, she would have to rely on Qiqi. The food Song Yao made was barely passing grade, far from delicious.

After receiving the call from Wang Damei, Song Yao grabbed her wallet and headed to the market outside. As for the child, that was left to Wang Qiqi, who was currently talking incessantly in English to the half-asleep Tao Tao. Song Yao was already dizzy from listening to it and just wanted sleep, so when she got the call, she hurried out.

Song Ziwen, yawning, returned to the living room intending to sleep some more, only to hear Wang Qiqi speaking what sounded like an alien language. He peeked over and saw Wang Qiqi reading a storybook aloud from an English textbook to his little nephew. "Poor Tao Tao, receiving English education from such a young age." Song Ziwen leaned against the doorframe and listened for about three minutes before the Marquis of Zhou beckoned him to come play chess.

Song Ziwen stumbled back into the living room corner and burrowed into his quilt, sighing comfortably. Sleeping under a comforter in the summer was such a pleasant thing, especially with the air conditioning on throughout the house. The treatment here was so much better than at home—could this be considered finding fortune in misfortune?

【Worth a Thousand Gold to Marry】By San Tan: Who says a salted fish can't flip over unless it's pan-fried both sides? This young lady insists on 'fighting' her way to success!

【First Arrival as a Bride】By San Tan: The reincarnated female lead makes a powerful comeback—"A tough life needs no explanation" (To be continued...)