Chapter Forty-Five: Alimony
Song Jie looked up and saw that her aunt, Li Li, was dressed very fashionably, with a new perm and a floral dress that looked quite elegant. However, she had high cheekbones and thin lips, which made her look like someone who wasn't easy to talk to.
Zhao Wu naturally knew that his wife had no good impression of their home. Her family was a dual-income household, considered to be well-off. At first, she insisted on marrying him despite her reservations about his poor family background. In fact, her parents only reluctantly agreed to the marriage because they were from a scholarly family.
Li Li always looked down on her poor husband's family, and at first she even insisted on moving out to live elsewhere. Normally, she wouldn't come back unless there was something going on, and as a result, her eldest son also lost interest in coming home, which is why Zhao Mu misses her grandson so much.
It's easy to imagine how disappointing it must be without seeing it now.
Song Jie felt that she could understand the old man's feelings, his youngest son and grandson were his heart's treasure, this old man couldn't see, but he could sense the longing in his heart.
She hasn't spent much time with her grandparents yet, so it's natural that she can't compare to the eldest grandson in this regard. She still has some self-awareness about this.
Li Li and Zhao Wu didn't stand on ceremony either, and sat down in front of the round dinner table by two empty stools.
The old man coughed lightly and said "Let's eat" and was the first to pick up his chopsticks.
The tense atmosphere eased a bit, and everyone picked up their chopsticks to eat. During the meal, no one dared to speak under the pressure of Old Master Zhao's authority. The family rules were originally very strict, and it was said that Zhao's ancestors were officials, but after a revolution, they didn't pay attention to these rules of not speaking while eating or sleeping.
Song Jie bowed her head and nibbled on the steamed bun, occasionally picking up some dishes. She still had a few points of celebration in her heart, fortunately, her eldest aunt was not at home. If she lived together with them, she would definitely get stomach disease.
After finishing dinner quietly, the dishes on the table were cleared away and replaced with tea. The whole family sat around the table chatting.
"Where are Xiao Jing and Xiao Bao?" Zhao's mother couldn't help but ask.
Zhao Jing is the eldest daughter of the old couple, 7 years old and has a similar moral character to her mother, being a utilitarian. The youngest son Zhao Xiaobao is only 4 years old, but he's a lovely little guy who wins people over.
It's not that Zhao Mu can't be blamed for liking her eldest grandson, anyone would like such a lovely grandson. As for the granddaughter, she really did learn from her mother's ways, making it hard for people to like her, so it's no wonder the old lady is biased and only loves her grandson.
Zhao Wu replied, "Xiao Jing and Xiao Bao went to their grandma's house and didn't bring them back." His tone was apologetic, he also knew how much his mother loved Xiao Bao, but in the family, what he said didn't count. A man who doesn't control the purse strings really has no weight in his words.
Mrs. Zhao's eyes suddenly dimmed, and Mr. Zhao, who was searching on top of Song Jie's head, also paused for a moment.
Song Jie suddenly felt that her grandparents, who were left behind at home and couldn't see their children, were as pitiful as the poor old people. Her heart suddenly tightened, with a dull pain.
Zhao Wu also knew that this topic was a bit dangerous, and quickly changed the subject: "Little sister, I heard you got into a good school, brother hasn't congratulated you yet, when does it start?"
"Thanks bro, I'll be starting school on September 1st, so I'll go register a few days in advance." Zhao Juan also quickly helped shift the attention.
But what's scary is not the god-like opponent, but the pig-like teammate. Li Li asked coolly from the side: "Tsinghua University is indeed a good school, little sister, have you paid your tuition fees?" The implication was very clear, and the atmosphere was once again stagnant.
Song Jie felt extremely speechless, what's the point of making the atmosphere so awkward for her? Isn't this a typical case of finding fault in others when there's none? A perfectly good sentence came out of her mouth, how could it be so off-taste...
"Nowadays, normal schools don't require tuition fees. If it's a good one, there might even be some subsidies. I've also saved up some money over the years, so living expenses are manageable."
"Is that so? Hehe, good feelings, we give our parents living expenses every year, you see..." Only when she heard that she didn't have to pay did she reveal a smiling face. In Li Li's heart, everything in this house should belong to their family.
Look at his wife, the more she talks, the more outrageous it gets. Who asks for living expenses from a sister who just came back home? Isn't that just being jealous of others eating for free? Zhao Yu anxiously tugged on Li Li's sleeve, telling her to shut up.
Zhao's father, who was standing aside, scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? Your own daughter is living at home, what boarding fees are you paying? She's not a son, what's wrong with staying for two days?"
"Stay for two days?" Li Li's sharp and clear voice suddenly rose, stunning everyone.
Zhao Juan quickly came out to express her stance, and couldn't let the family conflict continue because of her: "It's only right, since we're living at home, how can we still rely on our parents? Paying for support is a must. I'll do the same as my older brother's family, whatever they pay, we'll pay the same."
Li Li lowered her voice, but Zhao's father did not agree. He still had the old idea that there was no way to let his daughter support him in his old age. If he let his daughter pay, where would he put his face in the future?
Zhao Juan had to speak in a low voice, stating the facts and reasoning that even if her married or divorced daughter came back home, it was still a bit unreasonable for her to freeload. Although Li Li's words were a bit sharp, they couldn't afford to ruin their harmony over this matter; after all, giving money to support their parents in old age was only right.
Zhao Juan strongly expressed her unwillingness to rely on her parents, but in the end it was Zhao's mother who came forward to help persuade him, and only then did Zhao's father reluctantly agree.
Li Li closely watched the development of the situation, she's not a fool. Where did her parents' money come from? Didn't it all come out of their own pockets? The idea that they would support her whole family and also her younger sister's family was just impossible!
During this time, Zhao Yu had not spoken out to dissuade him, it seemed that he also had such thoughts in his heart.
Li Li saw things going her way, and her long face suddenly lit up like a chrysanthemum. Holding Zhao Juan's hand, the two of them spoke warmly, as if it wasn't her who had just appeared with contradictions. Even Song Jie, who was silently standing by, received several compliments, making Song Jie's face flush with embarrassment.
Zhao Juan also smiled and welcomed him, after all they were a family, how could they break up because of this little thing? When it's time to get along well, we should still get along well.
Li Li, who was in a great mood, also made a promise to Zhao's parents that she would bring the child back home tomorrow night. This had grasped the old couple's weakness, and Song Jie secretly rolled her eyes, wondering if the two little ones at home were little devils with such a big aunt.
This time back home, Li Li was the happiest, all the problems in her heart were solved, just by looking at her face.
Other people in the family have some shadows in their hearts due to the alimony, feeling like something is stuck in their throats that they can't swallow or spit out.
It wasn't until late at night that Zhao Wu rode his bicycle home with his lovely wife.
