Chapter 192: Maternal Grandfather

Chapter 192: Chapter 192: Maternal Grandfather

Yang Dong led Jiang Qing to a large, jumbled courtyard in the northeast corner of the mechanics factory’s residential area.

He pushed open the gate and they went inside. It was practically a small shantytown.

The not-so-spacious yard was crammed with all sorts of illegal structures and extensions, leaving barely any room to stand.

Yang Dong led Jiang Qing to one of the shacks and used a key to open the door.

"My grandmother used to live in this room. It’s been empty since she passed away. If you clean it up yourself, it should be just about livable."

"Okay."

After settling the matter of her lodging, Yang Dong brought up work. "I’ll ask around for you on my end. I’ll let you know if I hear anything."

"Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Yang."

After giving her the key, Yang Dong left.

Jiang Qing surveyed the room.

The entire room was built from scrap wood and sheet metal. It was about five square meters and contained only a single bed and a set of old table and chairs.

It was crude, but at least she had a place to stay.

After cleaning the room, Jiang Qing locked the door and returned to the military family courtyard.

As she reached the entrance of the residential area, she ran into Zhou Xiaoqing, who was getting off an early shift.

"Jiang Qing, didn’t you go to the army base? When did you get back?"

"Just got back a few days ago."

Jiang Qing was in a hurry to get back to the military family courtyard to grab her luggage, so she didn’t feel much like talking to Zhou Xiaoqing.

But Zhou Xiaoqing was exceptionally enthusiastic, grabbing her arm. "That thing you said before, about introducing me to a soldier—you still mean it, right?"

Jiang Qing was annoyed and gave a half-hearted reply, "I’ve already asked Zhang Jia Ming to look out for someone for you. He’ll tell you if he finds a suitable candidate."

"How long is that going to take? Put some effort into it! You’ve all gotten married off one by one, and I’m the only one left. My mom nags me about it every day."

Noticing Jiang Qing’s gaze on her, Zhou Xiaoqing couldn’t help but tug smugly at the hem of her clothes.

"I just had this outfit made a few days ago. It’s polyester khaki. Looks good, right?"

Looking at Zhou Xiaoqing’s beaming, gloating face, Jiang Qing felt a dense wave of hatred rise within her.

If it hadn’t been for this treacherous snake Zhou Xiaoqing causing her to lose her job, she never would have needed to marry someone just to avoid being sent to the countryside, and she certainly wouldn’t have ended up in this situation.

...

Jiang Qing returned to the military family courtyard.

Seeing her return, Li Hongying, who had been worried sick all day, finally relaxed. "Where have you been?"

Without looking up, Jiang Qing packed her things. "I’ve already found a place to live. I’m just taking some of my luggage for now. I’ll leave the rest here and come back for it later."

Li Hongying was very surprised.

These days, finding a place to live was no easier than finding a job.

"Where’s the place you found? Let me go with you to take a look."

"No need."

"If I don’t even know where you’re living, how am I supposed to find you later?"

Jiang Qing snorted coldly. "There’s no need. You just go on and enjoy your comfortable life. From now on, whether I live or die is none of your business."

"What are you saying? If I don’t look after you, who will..."

Just as she was speaking, the door opened from the outside.

Seeing Jiang Dahai was home from work, Li Hongying quickly wiped her tears. "How come you’re off work so early today? I’ll go make dinner right away."

Jiang Dahai looked at Jiang Qing and the luggage on the floor. "What’s all this...?"

"Don’t worry, I’m leaving right now. I won’t overstay my welcome."

With a cold sneer, Jiang Qing picked up her packed luggage and got up to leave.

Jiang Dahai stopped her. "It’s already dinnertime. Stay and eat before you go."

"No need. I’m not that desperate for a meal."

Jiang Dahai didn’t insist. "Fine, don’t eat. But let’s just talk for a moment. Xiao Qing, marriage is not a game. Jia Ming’s mother might have done some things wrong, but Jia Ming himself is a reliable man. He’s the one who will be spending the rest of his life with you. Don’t do something in the heat of the moment that you’ll regret forever."

Jiang Qing let out a cold, humorless laugh. "When the Zhang Family was bullying and humiliating me, what were you doing? Did you step up and say a single word for me? I finally managed to escape, and now you’re here lecturing me with your grand principles. Aren’t you a hypocrite?"

Sensing Jiang Qing’s hostility toward him, Jiang Dahai couldn’t help but frown.

His stepdaughter had always been a bit withdrawn, but she was usually someone who would listen to reason.

Now, however, she had become radical and unreasonable.

"Xiao Qing, you’re an adult. You need to take responsibility for your own mistakes. Because of a letter you wrote, Jia Ming’s father was beaten until he lost an eye. Don’t you feel the slightest bit of guilt?"

Jiang Qing’s laugh grew even more mocking. "If Jiang Moli had been the one to marry Zhang Jia Ming, and if the Zhang Family had degraded her like this, would you be standing by and watching so coldly, just like you are now? You fake, hypocritical gentleman. You say you treat me like a daughter, but do you even treat me one-tenth as well as you treat Jiang Moli?"

Li Hongying couldn’t listen anymore. "Xiao Qing, your Uncle Jiang has been good enough to you!"

"Growing up, how many disasters did Jiang Moli cause? How much trouble did she stir up? Everyone always tolerated her, forgave her. I make this one mistake, and you all latch onto it and won’t let go. You refuse to help me. Is this what you call being good to me? Forget it. I don’t want it!"

After saying her piece, Jiang Qing grabbed her luggage and left.

"Xiao Qing," Li Hongying instinctively chased after her.

Jiang Dahai sat down on the sofa with a gloomy expression, reflecting on whether he had truly been too harsh and cold toward his stepdaughter.

Putting himself in her shoes, if the Lu Family had treated his own daughter this way...

He would have fought to his last breath to get justice for her.

As a stepfather, perhaps he really had been derelict in his duties.

After a long while, Li Hongying returned alone, her eyes red.

"Did she say where she’s staying tonight?"

Li Hongying shook her head. "She wouldn’t say. That child... I don’t know how she turned out like this."

Jiang Dahai sighed. "Over the years, I have indeed neglected her, allowing resentment to build up in her heart."

Li Hongying wiped her tears. "You’ve been good enough to my daughter and me. She’s the one who’s ungrateful, always trying to compare herself to Moli."

...

After dinner, Jiang Dahai went to the Military District Courtyard and told Jiang Moli about Jiang Qing’s insistence on getting a divorce.

Jiang Moli was actually quite impressed by Jiang Qing’s decisiveness.

Jiang Dahai considered his words carefully. "About this, should you call the base and have Xiao Lu talk to Jia Ming?"

"What is there to say? Lu Cheng is busy lately; he doesn’t have time to meddle in other people’s business. Besides, what if I pass on the message, and then tomorrow she changes her mind and decides not to divorce him? Wouldn’t that make me look like a petty busybody?"

Jiang Dahai thought his daughter had a point, so he dropped the subject.

"So, uh... how are things between you and Xiao Lu?"

"In what way?"

Jiang Dahai looked at her, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Jiang Moli teased, "Dad, are you trying to say you want a grandchild?"

His thoughts having been read, Jiang Dahai didn’t deny it. "Of course I do. Who doesn’t want grandchildren?"

Jiang Moli laughed. "If you wanted one, you should have just said so. Do you want a grandson or a granddaughter?"

"I’d love a grandson or a granddaughter."

"Alright, from now on, I’ll call you Grandpa, and you can just treat me as your granddaughter. If that’s not enough, we can have Jiang Peng call you Grandpa too. That way you’ll have both a grandson and a granddaughter. Happy?"

Jiang Dahai: "..."

...

Jiang Qing returned to her place in the mechanics factory residential area, made the bed, and ate the steamed buns she had bought on the way to fill her stomach. Then, she took out a pen and paper and began to write a letter to Zhang Jia Ming.