How I Tamed My Wolfish Husband Back in 80s-Chapter 398 - 400: Communication_1

The next day, late in the afternoon, Li Qiao left school, transferred buses at the mall, and got off to buy two sets of baby clothes. Seeing a street vendor selling dried figs, she tried one; the skin was chewy, but the inside was soft. She bought a basketful and took a bus to the Shangguan family’s place.

She was stopped at the gate of their residential compound by a young security guard.

She said she was there to see a friend.

The guard asked her to wait while he notified someone. About ten minutes later, Shangguan Qingyuan appeared and told the guard, "From now on, let this lady in directly whenever she comes."

"Yes, sir."

"What’s in the basket?" he then asked Li Qiao.

"Just some snacks. You may not have tried them before. If none of you wants them, I’ll just take them with me," Li Qiao said.

Shangguan Qingyuan chuckled. She even had the nerve to talk about taking away the snacks she brought as gifts. "Your timing is perfect today. My sister-in-law has been crying all day at home because of the Zhong Qiongsui incident. She really needs someone to comfort her."

Li Qiao: "I’m not very good at comforting people. There’s something I have to say even if you might not like to hear it. If I were Zhuang Shu, I would have cut off a friend like Zhong Qiongsui a long time ago. I knew she was no good from the first time I met her. She kept praising Zhuang Shu, but in reality, she managed to offend everyone around her. Even if I were slow to react, my partner would have noticed and got rid of her."

Jiayue was kidnapped by someone arranged by Zhong Qiongsui, for which Shangguan Qingfeng was mainly responsible.

Shangguan Qingyuan sighed inwardly, "Who would have thought that Zhong Qiongsui would have the guts to do such a thing?" They all somewhat understood that Zhong Qiongsui’s approach to their sister-in-law wasn’t pure, and the family had warned her more than once.

The sister-in-law didn’t believe them, and for the sake of defending Zhong Qiongsui, she had argued with her parents and quarreled with her brother. Even after the kidnapper confessed and implicated Zhong Qiongsui, the sister-in-law still refused to believe it. She went to question Zhong Qiongsui herself last night where she was detained.

She was harshly ridiculed by Zhong Qiongsui and left feeling like a frostbitten eggplant.

Stupid and pitiable.

Li Qiao agreed, "This incident teaches us a lesson: we shouldn’t be too arrogant nor should we underestimate the human heart."

Shangguan Qingyuan: "..." Using his family’s affair as a cautionary tale?

"..."

......

When Li Qiao entered the Shangguan residence, in the living room, apart from Shangguan Qingfeng and Zhuang Shu whom she knew, there was also an unfamiliar couple who looked to be in their fifties. Zhuang Shu was sitting between them; they must be Mr. Zhuang and Mrs. Zhuang.

Shangguan Qingyuan said, "Sister-in-law, Li Qiao is here to see you."

Zhuang Shu then looked up, "Li Qiao, you’re here." She gathered her spirits and introduced her parents to Li Qiao.

"Hello, Uncle and Auntie," Li Qiao said.

"Hey, hello, you’re the one who adopted our Jiayue, right? Come sit."

Li Qiao responded and sat in the nearest empty seat.

Zhuang Shu glanced at the things Li Qiao had put on the floor: "Next time you come, you don’t need to bring anything; don’t be so formal."

"It’s no bother; I like the child too and always think about her," Li Qiao said, looking around, "Where’s the child?"

"Upstairs, the auntie is watching her sleep," Zhuang Shu replied.

Li Qiao murmured an acknowledgment and sat down properly.

Mrs. Zhuang continued to berate Zhong Qiongsui: "That girl doesn’t look like much, and she’s wicked at heart too. It’s a shame you were so sincere with her."

Zhuang Shu lowered her head and started crying again upon hearing this.

Mr. Zhuang and Mrs. Zhuang consoled her.

Before Zhuang Shu’s mood could stabilize, a child’s crying came from upstairs. Li Qiao said, "I’ll go check on her." She rushed upstairs, where the child had urinated and defecated. Li Qiao and the auntie cleaned up the child together. After washing her hands in the bathroom, she came out and soothed the child in her arms.

The auntie smiled, "You wouldn’t know it by your age, but you seem experienced with handling children."

Li Qiao: "I’ve done it before." The child they found at the doorstep, she and her grandmother had taken care of for nearly a week. When it came to Jiayue, she adapted quickly.

She placed the baby in the crib and sat beside, playing with the child’s tiny hand.

The baby grinned.

Li Qiao exclaimed in delight, "She’s smiling at me! Why isn’t there any sound?"

"Babies are like that when they’re young; they’ll start to giggle out loud when they get a bit older."

Li Qiao adored the baby, and after the child fell asleep, the nanny cleaned up the room. Li Qiao played with the baby’s little feet—plump and pale, so tender. She suddenly became curious if the baby could have smelly feet, stood up, bent over, and sniffed closer. Just then, the door was pushed open, and Shangguan Qingfeng walked in.

Her movements stalled, and she awkwardly sat back down, covering the child with a thin blanket.

He came over to look at the baby. "When did she go to sleep?"

"Just now," Li Qiao said.

Shangguan Qingfeng stood there for a while and then left. After some time had passed, Zhuang Shu came in, her eyes puffy. She said her parents had left.

Li Qiao silently handed her a handkerchief. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

Tears flowed down Zhuang Shu’s face again. "I never thought a friend I sincerely treated for over a decade could treat me this way."

"Over a decade?"

Zhuang Shu nodded. "We met when we were fourteen, went to the same high school. When her parents were too busy to look after her, she frequently ate and drank at my place. Back then, neighbors praised me for my looks, and she’d tell me how her parents would joke about her appearance, making her feel inferior. It was me who comforted her. I studied at the translation college for university, and she went to the college next to yours. After graduation, she wanted to work with me—it was me who tutored her in foreign languages."

She spoke about her past with Zhong Qiongsui, and throughout, she expressed a sense of her contributions being undervalued.

Li Qiao listened.

Finally, Zhuang Shu said, "If it were you, wouldn’t you also be baffled?"

"Sad as I would be, I wouldn’t be baffled. I would just be thankful that I didn’t sacrifice my family for her, that my child is still with me, and that I’ve seen someone’s true colors. I’d be more cautious in the friendships I make from now on," Li Qiao said.

Zhuang Shu’s smile was mildly bitter. "You’re more positive than I am."

"Being positive is a necessity. After all, we must live our own lives. In fact, you’re luckier than many women. You’re beautiful, come from a good family background, have a good partner, and don’t have any family conflicts. Realizing the true nature of a friend now is surely better than being deceived for a lifetime, right?"

Zhuang Shu hummed softly, now understanding the meaning behind Li Qiao’s words during her last visit. She had not expected such a young girl to be more perceptive than she was.

...

Li Qiao stayed for dinner at the Shangguan family’s house before leaving.

Shangguan Qingyuan offered to take her, and she said, "Just drop me off at the school gate."

"Aren’t you going home?"

"I have to study." Li Qiao got out of the car and walked off. She ran into Ma Hongxiang, who was out shopping, greeted her cheerfully, and they went back to the dormitory together to get their books before heading to the library to study. And just like that, the day passed.

In the blink of an eye, Monday arrived, and when Qin Jin brought her ginseng soup, Li Qiao handed him Mrs. Xue’s relevant documents.

After Qin Jin accepted them, he watched her drink the soup. "When are you planning to stay at home?"

"Maybe during vacation." Li Qiao replied, "According to the school’s notice, there will be defenses in early May. After that, internships, and once the internships are completed, we have to return to the school with the company’s stamp on our work cards to get our diplomas."

She could forego the internship as a graduate student. However, the class teacher told her it would be best to follow the school’s arrangements and obtain the internship stamp from the company to complete this stage of her studies and help her qualify for outstanding graduate recognition.

Qin Jin pressed on, "Vacation? Early July? By then, can you still hide your belly? And now that the heating’s stopped, can you keep warm sleeping alone?"

Li Qiao understood. The last part was what mattered. He, the rogue, was hoping for something else. According to Mrs. Xue, after three months, they could start having intimate exchanges. Thinking it over, she replied, "Today, then."

"Okay." Qin Jin couldn’t hide his joy.

After Li Qiao finished her soup, he massaged her shoulders and pounded her back, while Li Qiao relished the attention and kept an eye on the surroundings, hoping nobody would see.

.......