Watching Wang Qiqi, who was gesturing wildly with excitement, Song Yao leaned back tightly against the sofa cushion. “Qiqi, Qiqi, don't get so worked up, don't get worked up. I truly never thought about withholding your wages.”

Originally, Song Yao had thought Qiqi wasn't a child who lacked money, that she probably wouldn't care about such a small sum, and that treating Luo Hongjuan a little better later on could smooth everything over. But she hadn't expected this.

“Really?” Wang Qiqi looked at Song Yao with doubtful eyes. “Why do I feel like you secretly look down on me for clinging to every little bit of money?” Though her words were sweet, a certain look in her eyes thoroughly betrayed her. “I can’t let go of small money or big money, after all, there’s a stingy capitalist pushing me from the side. We must strive to earn money so we can leave that capitalist far, far behind.”

Song Yao felt she simply couldn't win a war of words with Wang Qiqi. She sighed, “Compared to you, I’m worlds away.” Good family background, a promising husband—no matter how you looked at it, she seemed much more capable and wealthier than herself. “Stop crying poor in front of me, or you’ll truly face heavenly retribution.”

Wang Qiqi hummed, dropping the topic of family wealth. “When you go to the capital city, we’ll have someone to manage the house there. It’s a pity about the house over here though…” Sigh. Originally, she had planned for Song Yao to help manage it, or for Luo Hongjuan to keep an eye on things. But now both were going to the capital city—who would look after things here? “After you leave, who will manage the house?”

“Song Ziwen. I’ve already talked to him. If my own younger brother won’t help, should I really ask Yang Jing to be responsible?” Song Yao found Wang Qiqi’s question strange. “Although Yang Jing is quite a good person, she’s a bit petty. Ziwen, even though he seems easygoing, his mouth is actually very tight-lipped.”

Song Ziwen. Wang Qiqi repeated the name a few times in her mind. He was indeed a good candidate. “Fine, I’ll treat Ziwen to a meal before I leave and discuss this matter with him.” As for any benefits or special favors, Wang Qiqi would absolutely not bring up money; mentioning it to him would create distance and might even upset him.

“Treat him to what? He should be treating us. This year, he’s been incredibly lucky—a promotion, wealth, and the birth of a son,” Song Yao said, her tone laced with a hint of envy.

“A promotion?” Wang Qiqi was quite puzzled. “Didn't you say his supervisor didn't look kindly upon him? How did he get promoted?”

“That supervisor’s backing collapsed; who knows where he’s been shuffled off to. The new supervisor is Song Ziwen’s classmate’s father. And you know how sweet that kid’s words can be. They already had a decent relationship, and now knowing the man is his superior… You know what Song Ziwen would do, right? Plus, the superior is newly transferred and naturally wants to have his own trusted subordinates. So, that’s how it went…” Of course, the final confirmation hasn't been issued yet, but it's estimated to be ninety-nine percent certain to succeed.” Song Yao finished with a careful reminder, as definite news hadn't broken, caution was still necessary. Besides, Song Ziwen had only mentioned this to his parents and Song Yao; he hadn't even told Yang Jing.

Regardless of the reason for the promotion, it was certainly happy news. “Then we have to treat him to a celebration in advance! When did he have time to chat with my brother about personal matters? How could he skip telling me about something so great?” Wang Qiqi was also happy for Song Ziwen. Although the money from a raise probably wasn't a big deal to him, a promotion was a well-deserved reward for his years of diligent work. “My brother should be the one treating us to a good meal. A promotion! Among the six of us in this generation, only he has the opportunity for a promotion. Oh, and Han Tao.” Wang Qiqi did a quick calculation: there were six people in their generation; only two were employees, while the rest were either self-employed or ran their own businesses.

“That’s a certainty. But I need to talk to Ziwen first and ask if he’s mentioned it to Yang Jing. Otherwise, if we go ahead and celebrate grandly while Yang Jing remains unaware, that would be terrible.” Being the elder sister-in-law meant having to consider everything. But then Song Yao looked back at Wang Qiqi. She had assumed Qiqi’s relationship with her in-laws would be easier to handle, yet she was also finding that every step required careful navigation. Thinking this, Song Yao felt much better. “Oh, by the way, did you hear? Han Tao’s sister-in-law’s family is claiming that the child she’s carrying will take the Ding surname.” Song Yao suddenly remembered something; she felt it was necessary to give Wang Qiqi a heads-up. This matter wasn't huge, but it wasn't insignificant either.

What? How did Song Yao know about this? Wang Qiqi was startled. In her view, this was a relatively secret affair. How could Song Yao know? Wang Qiqi truly couldn't understand the Ding family’s thinking. Even if they were leveraging their wealth, hoping to have a Ding-surnamed heir to inherit the family business, shouldn't they at least keep such a matter hidden better? Especially since they were newly married, and this news was already causing a stir—what would people think?

Wang Qiqi’s shocked expression showed Song Yao that she was completely unaware. “I heard it from a businesswoman who frequently comes to the shop. She was inadvertently talking about it with a friend, and I happened to overhear,” Song Yao explained. Normally, Song Yao wouldn't pay much attention to such things, but when she heard talk about how the boy’s paternal cousin—and then the cousin being named Han Tao—Song Yao became concerned. However, since she learned of it on the Minor New Year’s Eve in front of so many people, Song Yao felt awkward bringing it up to Wang Qiqi immediately, so she had delayed until now.

Listening to Song Yao criticize the Ding family for their lack of integrity, Wang Qiqi also spoke at length about how the Han family was suffering a great loss this time. Suddenly, Wang Qiqi wondered if this was one of the reasons Song Yao wanted to take Luo Hongjuan away. She remembered agreeing wholeheartedly when she first heard Han Tao was marrying into the Wang family. Now, hearing about the plans of Han Jun’s in-laws, she naturally felt anxious. “I never considered the issue of Han Tao marrying into the family. I was only thinking that if there was a possibility later on, our second son could take the Wang surname,” Wang Qiqi stated her view. “As for the issue of Han Jun’s child’s surname, I actually eavesdropped on that the day they got married.” Wang Qiqi then recounted the situation from that day.

Song Yao had initially thought this news was highly confidential, but she hadn't expected the Ding family’s relatives to be bold enough to discuss such matters directly concerning the marriage. Even if the words were spoken in a secluded corner, Song Yao considered it foolish—it was impossible that only Wang Qiqi had overheard. “Do the Dings think they are invincible just because they are rich? But Han Tao’s younger brother isn't exactly a good character either. Rumor has it that the Dings promised him a car if the child took their surname, and he happily agreed.” Song Yao reflected on how, despite being paternal cousins, the gap between them was so vast—one was self-reliant, and the other was clearly freeloading off his wife's family. It was no wonder the Ding family looked down on him.

Wang Qiqi had assumed Xue Hong would know about this, but it turned out everything was Han Jun’s decision alone, and the bargaining chip was just a car from the Ding family. Although owning a car sounded prestigious, based on the single encounter Wang Qiqi had with Ding Meina, she suspected that even if a car was bought, it wouldn't necessarily be for Han Jun to use; Ding Meina was not someone to be easily trifled with. “I thought Xue Hong knew. I never expected this to be entirely Han Jun’s idea. Does he really think such a major issue can be resolved just through the old woman’s doting affection for him?”

Wang Qiqi thought Han Jun had been spoiled rotten by the Han family. How could he be so careless about something that would clearly anger the old woman into a faint? But then she recalled that day when Han Tao cursed out his mother, and Han Jun had shrunk back without saying a word. Wang Qiqi recounted Han Jun’s behavior that day with some schadenfreude. “Do you even call a person like that a man? I bet when this matter inevitably blows up, it will be the Ding family rushing to clean up the mess again. Han Jun will simply stay silent and hide away.”

Song Yao listened, stunned into silence, feeling like she might faint. She nodded in complete agreement with Wang Qiqi’s assessment. “At least your brother-in-law’s younger brother defends his parents somewhat. But how can Han Jun be like this? He knows full well that his parents and grandmother are doing all this for him, their only male descendant, to ensure the Han family line continues. I wonder if the Ding family will regret taking such a son-in-law when the time comes.”

Song Yao felt that if she had a daughter who married a son-in-law like that, she would immediately demand a divorce. A man like that is the first to run toward any benefit and shrinks back when trouble arises—unworthy of being called a man. “If he were my son-in-law, I’d demand a divorce instantly. If he were my son, I would immediately sever ties of motherhood. A son like that is worse than no son at all. If Tao Tao turns out like that in the future, I would rather die of anger and write a will to donate all my assets; I would absolutely not leave them to such an ungrateful wretch.”

Wang Qiqi thought Song Yao’s words contained some exaggeration. In the country, how many people would donate their entire fortune, even if their son was worthless? “But that has nothing to do with us. Han Tao and I are just worried that his mother will pull them into the drama. Now that she’s in the capital city, let them make their noise; it has nothing to do with us.” At this moment, Wang Qiqi prayed that when the truth surfaced, Luo Hongjuan would already be in Beijing. Then, if they wanted to cause trouble, they wouldn't be able to find anyone—let them fight amongst themselves like dogs biting dogs.

“When do you think they’ll explode? I estimate this news won't stay hidden for long.” Song Yao gave Wang Qiqi a sidelong glance. If so many people hadn't been talking, this matter might have continued until Ding Meina gave birth, but now that possibility seemed slim. “Right, did they meet up with you after their honeymoon?”

Wang Qiqi shook her head. “No. They called us over for New Year’s Eve dinner, but Han Tao’s mother vetoed it, saying they were used to celebrating separately.” She recalled how imposing Luo Hongjuan sounded when she spoke those words to the person on the phone, and Han Tao had deeply remarked that his mother’s imposing aura was definitely improving. [To be continued]