I Am the Only Fertile Woman in the Game-Chapter 212: A Mess
It was barely dawn when Mother Qiao saw a figure sitting by the bed, facing the balcony window, like a boulder. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was Father Qiao, who had returned at some unknown time.
"Are you trying to scare someone to death this early in the morning? Why are you sitting there?"
She got out of bed and approached him, noting Father Qiao’s face was deathly pale as he stared with wide eyes, as if possessed.
"Hey, don’t scare me. What’s wrong?" Mother Qiao pushed him but he didn’t respond, frightening her even more. She began slapping his face while shouting, "What’s wrong? Did something happen at the company?"
Upon hearing the word "company," Father Qiao finally snapped back to reality, saying dully, "It’s over... All over..."
He spoke stiffly as if he were a puppet, "A death... There was a death..."
Mother Qiao was shocked and yelled, "What do you mean a death? Explain yourself!"
After several questions, Mother Qiao collapsed onto the ground.
It turned out that the health product developed by the Qiao family’s company had caused the death of an elderly person, and now the victim’s family was making a fuss. Each family member had some influence, causing the fire department to investigate the company, and now they had no choice but to shut down. They had been scrambling these past few days to manage funds and reassure employees, but with this commotion, not only had the hard-won investors immediately canceled their agreements upon hearing the news, but over half of the employees had resigned. It truly was a case of every man for himself once trouble started.
"What do we do... what do we do... Meiyun, you have to help me..." Father Qiao, losing all composure, clutched at Mother Qiao’s trouser leg, but she kicked him away.
"Help you? How can I help you! I told you, the new formula wasn’t tested, not tested! And you still dared to sell it on the market!"
"I was just trying to make some quick results to attract investors! If it wasn’t for your daughter failing to introduce me to Guan Weizhi, none of this mess would have happened!"
Upon hearing this, Mother Qiao pointed at his nose and scolded fiercely, "Why are you blaming my daughter! What does a college student like her know? Why should she clean up your mess?"
Facing a total loss, Father Qiao also shed his usual kind demeanor, pushing and yelling at her, "I knew I shouldn’t have married you, a jinx that drags down my fortune! If my mom hadn’t seen you with a son, she would never have let you enter our family to begin with!"
"Qiao Songfan! You shameless man!!"
Mother Qiao lunged at him and scratched his face, and the two of them grappled, presenting a disgraceful scene.
"If it weren’t for me! Would you be where you are today?"
Father Qiao, being physically stronger, pushed Mother Qiao to the ground, her head striking the corner of the sofa.
He angrily pointed at her and yelled, "I’m telling you this, if the company is gone, the whole family might as well start eating the wind! I’ve had enough of you. Don’t play dumb this time; just sign the papers! Qiqi is still young, and can’t afford to be held back. Out of respect for you taking care of my mother on her deathbed, I’ll give you some money. Just take it and go. Don’t even think about the house!"
Mother Qiao had long known he was supporting a mistress outside, that woman named Qiqi, the company’s accountant. They had been intimately involved, initially secretive, but later at the company, she made no effort to hide it, assuming the role of the boss’s wife when Mother Qiao wasn’t around. Probably Father Qiao had promised her a divorce, and she couldn’t wait any longer.
Mother Qiao had always been aware of this affair, but had turned a blind eye. Now that it was brought up for open shame, she laughed while incessant tears streamed down, her clenching teeth containing both hatred and frustration. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
The old lady had often made her life difficult with dowager’s demands, but in the end, only she had taken care of the old lady’s every need, while this so-called filial son rarely visited. Initially, Qiao Songfan had pursued her intensely before their marriage, causing the divorcée to feel immensely ashamed. Little did she know that after marriage, he would change completely, later finding out he had been diagnosed as infertile long before, dumped by a previous marriage prospect. However, under his mother’s pressure, he hastily married someone.
Mother Qiao was proud, coming from humble beginnings and already disdained for being divorced. If she divorced again, she felt she could never lift her head in public again.
So, even though her marital life was less than ideal, she endured it all. The entire Qiao Family looked down on Mother Qiao, seeing her as someone who brought along two burdens, mocking Father Qiao for becoming a cheap dad. Therefore, they often marginalized her both openly and covertly. Enduring the humiliation, Mother Qiao managed both inside and outside affairs and, being a person of pride without an outlet for her frustration, bottled up her emotions. Over time, she became more irritable, and her youthful beauty faded. Especially when she saw her daughter, her anger could not be concealed, and she was often impatient. Added to this was the family matriarch’s preference for males over females, so she urged Ji Ming to ingratiate himself with the old lady more. As for Suisui, she was timid from a young age, did not talk much, and cried at the slightest things. The Qiao Family already did not like girls, which made her feel embarrassed, and thus she got even more annoyed whenever Suisui cried.
She vented all her frustrations on her weak children, and as the years piled up, it became habitual, as if this method was her outlet.
With a ’bang’, Father Qiao slammed the door and left.
Mother Qiao sat on the ground, wiping away her tears, and when she looked up, she saw Ji Ming standing at the doorway. His expression was so cold that it made Mother Qiao shiver.
"Ji Ming, help me up..."
Ji Ming stood at the door, unmoved.
Initially, he would defend Mother Qiao and comfort her, but gradually, Ji Ming grew weary. Why didn’t this man leave? Why did he repeatedly cling to his pride and subject himself to such humiliation again and again?
That moment, he said expressionlessly, "Just sign it this time. I’ve already secured a job, and I will earn money to support you and my sister."
Mother Qiao was stunned, her eyes stinging with tears. She gritted her teeth, "I won’t divorce. He thinks he can just get rid of me like that, no way! What do all these years mean then? What does all my sacrifice mean? Why should I end up being the joke?"
Ji Ming closed his eyes, sighed, and scoffed, "So you are not a joke now?"
He turned and walked away, feeling he could not stay in this house a moment longer, but he heard Mother Qiao’s shriek from behind: "I didn’t raise you to talk back to me! Everyone’s wings are hardening, aren’t they! If it wasn’t for me adopting you back then, would you even have a school to attend? Have food to eat?"
With tears streaming down her face, Mother Qiao spoke harsh words, but she regretted them the very next second. Ji Ming was the son of her close friend who, along with his spouse, died in a car accident. Both sets of grandparents were also deceased, leaving only her willing to help out by taking the barely month-old Ji Ming temporarily into her care. She had already arranged with a distant relative of Ji Ming to adopt him. It was only later, after hearing from Qiao Songfan that the old lady favored grandsons, that she decided to claim Ji Ming as her son.
Now, the youth before her had grown so tall unknowingly, his back straight. Without turning his head, he said calmly, "I know, and I won’t neglect you. I will provide for you until your last days, under one condition: that you no longer bother my sister."
Having said that, he strode away. This home, finally, was left with only Mother Qiao.
A few days later, Suisui was attending class at school as usual. When the class ended, the students bustled about, eager to leave. Suddenly, a shabbily dressed man appeared at the classroom door and immediately knelt before Suisui as she exited.
"Child, give your dad a chance to live."
The man was Qiao Songfan.
He deliberately used this pitiful tactic to coerce Suisui into helping him.
Instantly, the hallway, the classroom, and even students from other departments crowded to watch the spectacle, all their eyes on Suisui, whispering secretly and someone even took out their phone to record.
"Hey, what’s going on? Some kind of family drama?"
"No way, Suisui’s family is that poor?"
"Ah, is she ignoring her dad?"
