Han Ximing was quite swift in his actions. Just as the two of them finished showering and were about to call Song Yao, they heard his furious roar, "I told you to stay put and behave yourself! What are you running around for?" Han Ximing looked at his wife, who resembled a shrew, and a fire ignited within him. He thought to himself how he ever married such a wasteful woman. Not only could she not offer solutions when trouble arose, but she was also clearly incompetent yet insisted on stirring up trouble everywhere, resulting in him being scolded by a junior. Han Ximing recalled the earlier call from Han Tao, where the elder wasn't even addressed properly, just directly reprimanded. If Han Ximing hadn't been concerned about Han Tao mentioning this to numerous relatives or having people sit at the door to stage another spectacle, Han Ximing wouldn't have bothered.

In Han Ximing's view, if that certain person came here to cause a scene, it would be fine if the matter was resolved. But he hadn't expected things to escalate like this. How could he not be angry? "Are you a responsible wife for the Han family?"

"It's a misfortune for the Han family to have married a wife like you." The more Han Ximing thought about it, the angrier he became. When he learned the truth about his daughter-in-law, he should have divorced Xue Hong when she was throwing tantrums about moving into her parents' home. As for the money she borrowed, he should have simply let her deal with it; the situation wouldn't have reached this point. In short, Han Ximing was filled with regret and remorse.

Xue Hong was already steaming with anger from being cornered by Wang Qiqi. The thought of the two adulterous wretches inside enjoying air conditioning and watermelon while she sat exhausted and thirsty by the door had pushed her rage past its breaking point. Seeing Han Ximing appear, she was just about to demand Old Han step up and give Han Tao a piece of his mind, but instead, he unleashed a torrent of abuse on her. Naturally, Xue Hong exploded in anger and lunged forward to strike him. The ferocity of their fight made those onlookers who had been waiting for the excitement—their legs aching and ready to leave—shout that it was absolutely worth the wait. Such a lively spectacle hadn't been seen in ages.

Han Ximing’s loud scolding of Xue Hong was partly due to his genuine anger and partly meant for Han Tao, who was quietly waiting inside. Though he was utterly reluctant, he had no choice; the current situation was dictated by the stronger party. His elder sister-in-law’s life was improving, but she absolutely refused to lend a hand to their immediate family. Last time, when he explained the situation and guaranteed repayment with an IOU, her response was simply "no money." Han Ximing didn't believe his sister-in-law couldn't produce fifty thousand. Han Tao earned in US dollars but spent in RMB, not to mention the rental income from their property. Therefore, Han Ximing was secretly pleased with Xue Hong causing a commotion. But the problem was that Han Tao had arrived and immediately said that to him, while his wife was threatening to call the police and reporters. He wasn't worried about the former, but the latter struck fear in him. The family was chaotic enough; if this reached television...

However, Xue Hong unexpectedly showed no restraint and didn't realize her husband was only putting on an act, striking him so fiercely. Han Ximing was momentarily stunned, but once he recovered, he regained his momentum and joined the fray with Xue Hong. Being a man, Han Ximing quickly reduced Xue Hong to pitiful screams. Throughout the entire ordeal, Wang Qiqi and Han Tao remained inside, treating the fight outside as if it were just stray cats and dogs squabbling.

Wang Qiqi and Han Tao heard Han Ximing's scolding inside and didn't pay much attention, knowing he was just acting to show his apology for the matter—a mere expression of regret, after all. But they hadn't anticipated things escalating to this point. Both were dumbfounded, yet they couldn't possibly go out to break up the fight now. Peeking through the peephole, they could see the two fighting viciously.

Wang Qiqi watched as Han Ximing punched Xue Hong's stomach as if she were a mortal enemy, while Xue Hong was violently pulling Han Ximing's hair, leaving clumps scattered on the floor. Wang Qiqi thought that this couple was truly venomous; they never considered their partner when fighting. "Your uncle is quite brutal, sigh." Just as she spoke, another heavy blow landed. Wang Qiqi sucked in her breath. Didn't that man know the stomach, while soft, was an area where serious injury could occur? If something major happened, they’d need hospitalization, which meant more expenses.

"If you ever dare treat me like this in the future, just watch me beat you to death," Wang Qiqi scanned Han Tao incessantly, wondering if this was a Han family tradition. If so, she needed to be careful.

Han Tao, who had been enjoying Han Ximing's misfortune, was shocked to find trouble brewing in his own backyard. "How could I be like Han Ximing? He's a useless man. How could I have the time to fight people? If I have any spare time, I'd rather think about how to make money."

"I hope so. I see now; the Han family genes really aren't good. But why did Xue Hong come here to make trouble?" Wang Qiqi asked with suspicion. She wondered why Xue Hong would cause a scene here, even if she knew the child in Ding Meina's belly wasn't a Han heir. Shouldn't she go cause trouble at the Ding family's place?

Han Tao was also puzzled. "Is it about the loan shark debt?" Anyone coming here to cause trouble was invariably after money. Han Tao genuinely couldn't understand why they were so certain we would bail them out. Did they assume that just because they shared a surname, we were obligated to save them? "Then we definitely shouldn't get involved. Let them handle it. When they held that grand wedding and had their moment of glory, why didn't they think about a day like this?" No matter how lavish the wedding was, it only matched the money you had. Why resort to loan sharks and such just for appearances?

Wang Qiqi yawned. "I'm going to sleep. My sister is picking us up for dinner tonight." For the next few days, Wang Qiqi suspected her own family wouldn't need to cook; someone else had arranged things.

After Song Yao picked up Wang Qiqi and her husband, she told Han Tao in the back seat, "Your mother is coming to my place for dinner today; she won't be back tonight. By the way, you should have let us know when you arrived back, so we could have picked you up. Did you see any excitement when you got back?"

Wang Qiqi hummed an affirmation. "Very lively. A shrew shouting curses, followed by a husband and wife fighting." Wang Qiqi wasn't sure when Han Ximing and his wife left. By the time they woke up, the sun was setting. The area outside was quiet. If not for the strands of hair still on the ground, Wang Qiqi would have thought the whole thing was just a dream.

Husband and wife fighting? "That old man Han Ximing showed up too?" Song Yao suspected Wang Qiqi was behind it. She was better than Luo Hongjuan, who would just hide at home like a turtle when problems arose. Qiqi was fierce; upon encountering trouble after returning home, she directly called the responsible parties to handle it.

"Exactly. Your brother-in-law was quite capable; he called them directly. By the way, why did Xue Hong come to cause trouble at my place? Mom didn't give me any heads-up." Wang Qiqi knew from Song Yao's question that she must have some details. Although it felt awkward having to learn about Han family matters from Song Yao, Wang Qiqi didn't know if Luo Hongjuan would divulge anything.

"Wang Rui's boyfriend is treating us to dinner tonight." Song Yao bypassed Wang Qiqi's question and first announced the host of the evening's meal, lest someone's expression sour. Then she immediately knocked and left. Given Qiqi's temperament, she might very well refuse to go. These two were sworn enemies; either they ignored the other as if they were air, or one would corner the other into leaving.

Wang Rui's boyfriend is treating? To be honest, Wang Qiqi's first thought upon hearing this was to shout for the car to stop so they could find another place to eat. "I have no appetite to eat with her. Eating together is only unavoidable for major family matters. Why are we crammed into the same meal today when we could have easily avoided her gathering?"

"Is she going to show off her boyfriend again?"

In short, Wang Qiqi was thoroughly displeased. "Sis, you're my own sister! You should have told me about something this significant in advance. If you had said someone she knew was hosting, I wouldn't have shown up at all." In truth, Wang Qiqi was just venting; she wouldn't actually storm off.

Song Yao was somewhat relieved to hear Wang Qiqi's discontented voice. Honestly, she would have been worried if Qiqi hadn't said anything. She figured Wang Qiqi had vented enough. "Little sister, you have no idea. After I finished the call in my room, Wang Rui suddenly appeared behind me, and her man said they were all having dinner together. What was I supposed to say?" Song Yao was also boiling inside, but what could she do? "I wanted to warn you, but Wang Rui kept staring at me. As I was leaving to find you, I even heard her say sarcastically if I could even reach you or not. Qiqi, what am I supposed to do?"

"Ah, I shouldn't have called you in the first place." She shouldn't have called Song Yao, thinking Song Yao would treat them. Someone was hosting the dinner, but "Tao, you brought money, right? Tonight, we'll take them out somewhere else." Since dinner time was tight, Wang Qiqi opted for something else instead of the meal.

Han Tao responded, "Movies or karaoke?"

"Karaoke," Wang Qiqi thought. Would they enjoy a movie? Karaoke was better. "Sis, stop at the bank up ahead." Having extra cash on hand was better than being short. They couldn't possibly show up without money when the bill came.

Song Yao acknowledged, "Got it. But karaoke is expensive; it might cost more than a meal." They couldn't even take out the drinks inside. Given Wang Rui's personality, she wouldn't hold back on ordering, would she?

"Then what should we do?" Go to a bar? That would be even more expensive. In this small town, bars were still relatively novel, and the drinks were definitely pricey. "Let's stick with karaoke. If we go to the movies, those rich people from the south might find it boring." The cinema equipment here was outdated; very few young people would choose it for a date.

Song Yao agreed; she couldn't take three men shopping. "Let's hope Wang Rui isn't too demanding. We can split the bill then."

"It's fine; we can afford this much. We'll see how generous she is," Wang Qiqi politely declined Song Yao's suggestion. It was just a small amount of money they could cover. It depended on Wang Rui's nerve.

Her? Song Yao snorted. "She's utterly shameless. Before coming back, she called your brother-in-law repeatedly, and she called my parents too. It forced us to go pick her up." It seemed she considered herself quite important. In contrast, when Wang Qiqi informed them of her flight arrival time to arrange a pickup, they preferred to endure the rough journey back on their own. That was the difference. (To be continued)

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