She sat back down, recalling the troubled expression on the other woman’s face after her earlier words. Tan Qingya spoke first. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I only said that because you’re outstanding, and your partner should be outstanding too. Don’t rush into marriage and settle for just anyone. Be cautious when choosing a partner. There’s no hurry for marriage. For now, I’ll arrange for you to meet Li Tongan. If it doesn’t feel right, you can always look elsewhere.”
There would still be room to back out if she didn’t like the person after meeting her.
It was rare for Tan Qingya to explain herself so patiently and in detail. She was genuinely thinking of Zhou Jianghao’s best interests. But the other woman merely stared blankly for a few seconds before nodding politely. “Alright. Thank you, President Tan.”
Tan Qingya lowered her gaze impassively.
An inexplicable irritation stirred in her chest.
It seemed Zhou Jianghao hadn’t truly taken her words to heart. And still, Tan Qingya saw no ripple of emotion on that beautiful face—no disturbance at all.
It was strange. She really wanted to see that pretty face lose its seriousness and composure, to show some other emotions.
Tan Qingya couldn’t help stealing another glance at her, hesitating before asking, “Or do you want to move things along a bit faster?”
“No need.” Zhou Jianghao shook her head obediently, her tone flat. “I’m fine either way.”
With that, she lowered her head and continued eating her dumplings.
Tan Qingya withdrew her gaze. Zhou Jianghao didn’t seem quite right, but they weren’t close enough for heart-to-heart talks. Tan Qingya dropped her eyes, pretending not to notice.
But when her gaze fell on the half-eaten dumpling in her own bowl, her brows furrowed again.
A big, greasy green patch—the dumpling was stuffed with mostly chives and just a tiny bit of meat, and all of it was fat. If she remembered correctly, this was supposed to be chive-and-pork dumplings, not pure chive ones.
She had never been one to mistreat her stomach, but leaving now would be terribly rude. It might embarrass Zhou Jianghao.
As she pondered how to broach the subject tactfully, Zhou Jianghao suddenly called out to her.
“President Tan.”
Zhou Jianghao swiftly finished the last dumpling in Tan Qingya’s bowl, then stood up with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I have other matters to attend to. I’ll head out first. Please, take your time.”
With that, she hurried away.
The barely tolerable atmosphere suddenly turned utterly dreadful. Tan Qingya set down her chopsticks and sighed softly. She had no idea how this girl had been raised—so young, yet so adept at reading people’s moods.
She hadn’t even spoken yet, and Zhou Jianghao had already guessed her intent, graciously providing an out for both of them.
So cautious and timid. If she married into those younger generations, just how badly would they bully her?
Arranging a meeting between Li Tongan and Zhou Jianghao wasn’t difficult.
That very night, Tan Qingya returned to the Old Mansion.
At the dinner table, the younger generation all looked listless.
The night they had spent in the storage room had been torture. The stifling heat and filth were bad enough, but the mosquito bites had plagued them most. They had barely slept, and by the next day, fevers had set in. They still hadn’t recovered.
“Qingya.” Tan Yanxi spoke first, smiling as she said, “There’s a girl from your brother-in-law’s family who’s liked you since she was little. When she heard you’d returned to the country, she was so excited she couldn’t sleep for days.”
In the past, Tan Qingya might have played along with a few polite words, but President Tan wasn’t in a good mood today. She lifted her eyes coolly.
“What does her insomnia have to do with me?” Tan Qingya’s face remained expressionless as she elegantly set down her chopsticks and leaned back. “Or are you saying, big sister, that you’d take responsibility for everyone who loses sleep over you?”
The words stabbed right at the Old Madam’s heart. She immediately shot Tan Yanxi a glare. “Eat your food! What good comes from that loose tongue of yours? Always trying to lead your sister astray!”
Being scolded in front of the children soured Tan Yanxi’s expression.
After a long moment, she continued, “Mom, I’m just worried because Qingya’s turning twenty-seven and still unmarried.”
She glanced at her own daughter with pointed intent. “After all, even Zhenyu has a girlfriend now.”
The Old Madam froze.
Tan Yanxi smirked inwardly and pinched her daughter’s thigh under the table, signaling her to chime in.
Li Zhenyu inwardly groaned. Her girlfriend? That girlfriend had dumped her because she fancied that wretch Zhou Jianghao!
“Zhenyu’s dating someone?” The Old Madam turned to her granddaughter with interest. She wasn’t particularly close to the younger generation, but they were still hers, raised under her watch. She couldn’t help caring a little. “Whose daughter is it? When will you bring her home to meet us?”
“It’s… not official yet.” Sensing all eyes on her, Li Zhenyu stammered a reply. Feeling her mother’s pinch tighten, she fought back tears of fear. “I’m still young. Little Aunt isn’t married yet—it’s not my turn…”
The temperature at the table plummeted instantly.
“So—” Tan Qingya narrowed her eyes. “You think I’m the obstacle to your marriage, and now you’re pressuring me to wed?”
“N-No… that’s not it!”
Tan Qingya sneered. “That’s exactly how it sounded to me.”
Li Zhenyu burst into tears.
A grown woman in her twenties, crying her eyes out—utterly embarrassing.
Tan Qingya had no patience for it. She stood. “I’m full.”
She glanced at the younger ones again, her voice flat. “Since you’re all at marriageable age, stop sponging off the family. Get out there and find jobs—all of you.”
Everyone’s faces drained of color.
Amid the fearful stares, Tan Yanxi’s glee stood out sharply.
Watching Tan Qingya’s retreating back, she suppressed her delight and turned to her mother. “Mom, Qingya’s right. The kids are grown—they should join the company for some training.”
The Old Madam wasn’t so easily fooled. “I’m old, not deaf.”
Qingya had clearly said to get out and find jobs.
She swept a glance over her grandchildren and declared, “Starting tomorrow, all of you go find work. Don’t expect the Tan Family to help.”
Everyone: “…”
Tan Yanxi’s face twisted horribly.
The meal ended in discord. Once the elders left, the younger ones rounded on Li Zhenyu with glares. “This is all your fault! Why’d you go poking at Little Aunt for no reason?”
Li Zhenyu: “…”
As if she had the guts to provoke Little Aunt. They were all sisters raised together—didn’t they know better? Her own mother had just used her as a pawn against Little Aunt!
And she had the nerve to complain they didn’t know how to butter up Little Aunt.
The more she thought, the angrier she got. Li Zhenyu shot to her feet and slammed the table. “If you’ve got the guts, go yell at Mom! What kind of skill is blaming me?”
Remembering the girlfriend topic, her frustration boiled over. She stormed back to her room, face dark. It was all that vixen Zhou Jianghao’s fault! Without her, things wouldn’t have ended up like this!
The thought of Zhou Jianghao marrying into the Tan Family made Li Zhenyu’s stomach churn.
Meanwhile, Tan Qingya regarded the girl called Li Tongan with a cold gaze.
She was rarely home and didn’t know Tan Yanxi’s children well, but this Li Tongan felt utterly unfamiliar.
She was Li Ye’s child with his mistress—no relation to the Tan Family. She kept a low profile, holing up at home for ten days or half a month without stepping out, even eating in her room.
Tan Qingya’s eyes finally settled on Li Tongan’s baggy, frumpy clothes.
Li Tongan was a bit plump, and in those loose, unflattering garments, she looked utterly devoid of vitality.
“Little Aunt?”
Li Tongan’s voice trembled, her face pale with fright. She didn’t even dare meet Tan Qingya’s eyes, dropping her head right after the greeting.
Such a timid thing.
Tan Qingya frowned slightly. No matter how she looked at it, Li Tongan seemed unworthy of Zhou Jianghao.
Zhou Jianghao might be timid, but her eyes were clear and bright. When she looked at someone, she didn’t shrink or dart away.
Parading this Li Tongan around would shame the Tan Family. Tan Qingya’s brows knit tightly, a headache brewing.
She asked a few more questions. Though timid, Li Tongan didn’t seem bad—not like the others, scheming and resentful toward her. Tan Qingya’s disdain eased a bit.
“What do you think of that girl Zhou Jianghao?” she asked.
Li Tongan blinked, stunned. She’d been cooped up in her room lately, out of the loop, unaware of Zhou Jianghao’s impending marriage into the family. She thought carefully before answering honestly. “I haven’t interacted with her much. She seems very pretty, like a quiet person. Her grades were good in school, so she’s probably smart and well-behaved.”
Tan Qingya wasn’t entirely pleased, but at least she felt reassured.
Zhou Jianghao knew how to pick them. Looking around, Li Tongan was the only one with a positive take.
The others wouldn’t even bother with polite words.
But well-behaved?
Tan Qingya glanced at the bite mark on her forearm and couldn’t help chuckling wryly.
“Nine tomorrow morning, here.” She crisply handed Li Tongan the address and waved her off. “Go on.”
Li Tongan had been itching to flee. Without another word, she snatched the paper and scurried away.
Tan Qingya tsked.
So this was Zhou Jianghao’s type?
If they hit it off tomorrow, the marriage would likely be sealed. Casually musing, Tan Qingya figured Li Tongan wouldn’t be able to protect her once Zhou Jianghao joined the Tan Family.
She’d met Zhou Jianghao as a child, and they’d even shared dumplings once—a bit of history. Maybe she should send a wedding gift?
Before Tan Qingya could even select a wedding gift, another piece of news came crashing down.
Li Tongan was pregnant, and the father of the child was unknown.
When she was summoned back to the Tan Family, Tan Qingya had barely stepped through the door when she saw Li Tongan kneeling on the ground. The woman was dressed in baggy clothes, her face pale with fear. The sight infuriated the Old Madam, who clutched at her chest in anger.
Tan Qingya came to a stop.
This was a mess for Tan Yanxi and Li Ye to deal with. She had no desire to get tangled up in it.
She was just about to slip into a corner and sit down when her gaze suddenly sharpened.
Only then did she notice the cool and aloof girl standing beside Li Tongan. It was none other than Zhou Jianghao. Why was she standing there…? Tan Qingya pondered for a few seconds before continuing to walk inside.
“I… I’m seven months pregnant! I can’t marry someone else!” The moment Li Tongan spotted Tan Qingya, she blurted it out, looking utterly terrified of being dragged off to wed.
Seven months along. If they had discovered it two months later, the child might already have been born.
Tan Qingya’s eyes fell on the woman’s belly. The oversized clothes concealed her figure so well that it was impossible to tell she was a seven-month pregnant woman.
“You still have the nerve to bring it up! What a shameless slut!”
Li Ye trembled with rage. He charged forward, raising his hand to slap Li Tongan, but another figure suddenly stepped in front to block him.
Smack—
The slap rang out, crisp and sharp. Tan Qingya’s eyes darkened as she sneered. “What a temper.”
She strode forward a few steps and glanced at the bright red handprint blooming on the girl’s pretty face. An inexplicable surge of irritation welled up inside her. She raised her hand and delivered a merciless slap in return.
“Rein in that foul temper of yours. I’m not Tan Yanxi. I don’t have the patience to put up with you.”
