Chapter 1969: Immensely Regretful
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“The Zhai family…” Qi Minlan was extremely sour. “The men of the Zhai family are all good men who treat their women well. They often say that everyone is equal in modern society and that it doesn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor. There are very few people who can truly practice what they preach, but the Zhai family is an example.”
At that time, Zhai Yaohui had not despised Miao Jing for being a countryside girl. Not only had he married Miao Jing, but he had even treated Miao Jing so well all these decades. That was unlike Qiu Qin, who had coaxed her when they were young but had already betrayed her a long time ago by finding a mistress outside and had even had a son out of wedlock.
Compared to the men of the Zhai family, all other men, including Qiu Qin, could not be considered good men.
The better the Zhai family’s men were, the more Qi Minlan hated her daughter. She had committed a folly in her youth, thinking that her now-deceased brother could have competed with Zhai Yaohui for the position of a chief. That was why she had looked down on Zhai Yaohui, causing her to miss out on him, leading to Zhai Yaohui marrying Miao Jing instead.
Her daughter was different. She had groomed her daughter from a young age to marry Zhai Sheng. In reality, her daughter had indeed succeeded and Zhai Sheng had married her. Who would have known…
Good men like those in the Zhai family were almost extinct. Someone as outstanding as Zhai Sheng had been thrown aside by her daughter, who was then left in even more dire straits than she had been in her youth. She had lost to Miao Jing. But at least, Miao Jing was at her prime and Miao Jing’s father was the Old Master Zhai’s benefactor. If they were really to talk about it, it was not that she had not been outstanding enough that she had lost to Miao Jing, who had a much lower social status than she did. That was why it had not been such a humiliating loss.
But Chenxi’s situation was different. That caretaker was an old woman of almost forty, and there was no way her education could compare to Chenxi’s. Even then, a woman who could compare with Chenxi in every way and had no prior relationship to the Zhai family had won against Chenxi and was about to become the Zhai family’s daughter-in-law.
With such a comparison, her daughter had lost badly.
Qiu Chenxi burst into tears. “Why does everyone in the Zhai family accept Qiao Nan who’s a caretaker? Do they not think that it’s humiliating? Don’t you think the Zhai family is full of monsters? Why can’t they think more like normal people? What do you mean by good men and bad men? The men in the Zhai family are only good toward that caretaker but bad toward me! I only made one single mistake, but they aren’t even willing to give me a second chance! I’ve already learned my lesson. I’ll live honestly and simply for the rest of my life. I won’t go out and play around anymore. But look at how vicious and heartless the Zhai family is toward me! They don’t even want to see me just once! The Zhai family’s men are no good at all! They’re scums!”
Yes, Qiu Chenxi finally realized. That was good.
Even men with lower statuses than Zhai Sheng would find mistresses outside to satisfy their own desires. It was only normal. Qiu Chenxi had no desire to be the one needing to tolerate that affair just as her mom had.
When Qiu Chenxi had gotten married to Zhai Sheng at that time, it had been too glorious. Everyone around her had been envious of her. But when Qiu Chenxi got divorced, they were all standing on the sidelines, waiting to see what would happen next. There were even some ‘sisters’ who had directly told Qiu Chenxi when she had gotten married, “A divorce is no big deal. Chenxi’s pretty and outstanding. I’m sure she’ll be able to find a man who’s better and more outstanding than Zhai Sheng after her divorce. Do you think that it’s possible for our Chenxi to regress and find someone worse off than Zhai Sheng? Chenxi, when you get remarried, you’d better look for us. Don’t forget me. When that time comes, I’ll definitely laugh at Zhai Sheng on your behalf!”
These words embarrassed Qiu Chenxi. Perhaps it was because she had drunk some alcohol, or perhaps it was because she did not want to get divorced, or that Zhai Sheng had practically forced her into a divorce that Chenxi had announced that she was the one who had grown annoyed with Zhai Sheng first.
Since she had been the one to say so, she had to take responsibility for her words.
Even though it had been years since those words were spoken, those ‘sisters’ who had heard Qiu Chenxi say those words at that time would still specially call her from time to time, asking when she was getting remarried, and whether she had already found someone better than Zhai Sheng. If she had indeed done so, she had better remember to tell them. They had already prepared fat red packets for Qiu Chenxi’s marriage.
In the face of these constant reminders of her actions at that time, Qiu Chenxi could not forget about them even if she wanted to. Now, Qiu Chenxi told Qi Minlan while wiping away her tears. “Mom, what should I do? Do you think Zhai Sheng will really get together with that caretaker? If the Zhai family doesn’t mind, there’s nothing else I can do. Mom, I’m already at this age and can’t give birth to any children. If I don’t reconcile with Zhai Sheng, I don’t have much hope for the rest of my life.”
Seeing her daughter, who was already in her forties, crying her heart out helplessly, Qi Minlan was heartbroken. “If it doesn’t work with the Zhai family, you can try that caretaker. I’m sure she has an inferiority complex. That caretaker’s background is just ordinarily bad. You can think of a way to make that caretaker voluntarily leave Zhai Sheng.”
In her whole lifetime, Chenxi was the only one who mattered to her. She had already given up her husband, Qiu Qin. The only one she could not bear to let go of was her only daughter, Chenxi, and she hoped that she would lead a comfortable life.
“It’s no use. I’ve looked for that woman. It’s exactly because of her poor background that she won’t ever give up on Zhai Sheng since it wasn’t easy for her to be so lucky. Mom, I have no other choice. I really have no other choice. Mom, I feel like I can’t live anymore!” Qiu Chenxi sobbed while hugging Qi Minlan. “If I can’t get back together with Zhai Sheng and have to watch him get married to another woman, I might as well die!”
Qiu Chenxi thought about how she did not have much hope for the rest of her life at this age. She did not even have a child of her own at this age. She did not want to think about her father, and her mother was already old and could not be with her for much longer. Once her mother was gone, she would have no other kin left in this world. What was the point in living in that case?
“Mom, I regret it. I really regret it now. I should have listened to you and cherished myself in the past. I shouldn’t have thrown a tantrum. I should have tried to salvage my marriage. I shouldn’t have led such a wild life and wrecked my own body. Mom, I want a child.” If she had a child, her life would not be so miserable and devoid of hope at the very least.