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Chapter 1525: I Can’t Afford To Provide For You

Even if Ding Jiayi continued throwing her tantrum, Qiao Nan would still be able to discuss the matter calmly with a clear conscience.

“Okay, I agree!” Ding Jiayi was ungrateful, but she knew her limits. She was clear of the kind of decision that would be the most favorable for herself. She did not even dream of getting a single cent from Qiao Zijin, much less a living allowance of up to a few hundred yuan or even a thousand yuan.

With such a comparison, Ding Jiayi had no choice but to settle for the thousand yuan from Qiao Nan every month.

“It’s good that we’re in agreement. Next, we have to discuss what will happen if your or Dad’s health deteriorates. You’ve agreed to follow my plan in ordinary times. As for anything else, I don’t care what requests you make to Qiao Zijin. But if you or Dad falls sick, I’ll split the costs equally with Qiao Zijin. This is non-negotiable.”

Since they were young, Qiao Zijin had had it better than her. Of course, Qiao Zijin could not just enjoy all these benefits until their parents passed away. She was going to have to pay them back too. There’s no such thing as a free lunch!

“This...” Ding Jiayi wanted to agree, but she knew that it would be costly if she were to be hospitalized. Qiao Nan had a decent job but relied mainly on her husband’s family. Ding Jiayi knew that Qiao Nan enjoyed many benefits, but as to whether her salary was high, Ding Jiayi was not too sure. Qiao Nan had given birth to three children, of which two were boys.

Now, her most expensive expense was providing for the elderly and children. But raising children could not be considered to be a waste of money, unlike providing for the elderly. Other things aside, in recent years, Ding Jiayi had seen how much the Zhou family spent on sending Qiao Zijin’s daughter to this enrichment class and that music lesson. The amount spent was heart-wrenching.

It was expensive to raise just one child, much less the triplets of the Zhai family!

Because Qiao Nan had to provide for two elderly people in addition to her three children, she would not even have anything left to save. If she fell sick, she did not want to die just because she could not afford treatment.

It was not wise to place such a burden entirely on Qiao Nan alone. If this crushed Qiao Nan, she would have to rely solely on Qiao Zijin. If that time came, it would be hard for her to survive, much less live a comfortable life.

She thought about how she might even have to re-enter the workforce to support herself in her old age if she were to lose Qiao Nan. As such, Ding Jiayi was agreeable to Qiao Nan’s suggestion. “Deal. We’ll go ahead with what you said. In the future, if Old Qiao or I get sick, you’ll split the expenses equally with Zijin.”

“Mom!” Qiao Zijin was upset. “Qiao Nan is more than capable of taking care of it alone. Why do you have to pull me in?” If she had any spare cash, should she not be allowed to spend it on some more clothes or a handbag for herself?

“Of course I have to pull you into this. Are you not my daughter? Did I not raise you? Didn’t your dad and I pay for all your expenses before you got married? Are you not planning on providing for me after I raised you for so many years?” Ding Jiayi was annoyed. She did not pin her hopes on her elder daughter to provide for her to live the high life, but if she were to fall ill, was her elder daughter really not going to help her out financially and just watch on by the sidelines and shed some tears?

For Qiao Zijin, she had suffered so much. She and her husband had actually given up their outstanding younger daughter just for her elder daughter. Ding Jiayi, who had always seen Qiao Zijin through rose-tinted glasses, finally held a slight grudge against Qiao Zijin.

In the end, if it was not for her elder daughter, her perfect family would not have landed in such a mess. She clearly had two daughters, but now, it seemed as though she had lost one of them, and the other was lost herself.

As for all the things she had done in recent years, Ding Jiayi did not think about them. She felt that she had spent so much money and effort on Qiao Zijin. But if Qiao Zijin had just put in a bit more effort, she would not have needed to lower her pride and come begging Qiao Nan for mercy.

Wasn’t this all because Qiao Zijin had not made any effort in her life?

She had not been good enough, and her sacrifices all these years had been for naught. In the end, when she fell sick, Qiao Zijin was unwilling to pay for her medical bills. This time, Ding Jiayi would be crazy to agree to Qiao Zijin’s unreasonable demands.

After all, a leopard never changes its spots. Selfish people will never be able to hide their true selves.

“It’s not that I don’t want to provide for you, but don’t you know the situation I’m in?” In the capital, she still had to rely on her mother’s connections to survive. She could not afford to ruffle Ding Jiayi’s feathers now. “I’m afraid I’m not that capable. After marrying Zhou Zheng, I stopped working.” After running away from the Zhou family, she had not returned for two months. In that time, she had spent almost all of her personal savings that she had worked hard to save.

To use her money to cover half the cost of the two elderly people’s hospitalization bills?

What a joke! She could hardly provide for herself!

“So what do you want me to say about you?” Ding Jiayi wanted to knock Qiao Zijin’s forehead with an iron bar. This was how Qiao Nan was treated in the past. “The Zhou family is not that bad. You had a good job, but you suddenly quit. The Zhou family didn’t even say anything about it and gave you an allowance every month. Where will you find such a good family? Since you don’t work, it’s as though your in-laws are paying your salary for nothing!”

When she first got married to Old Qiao, Old Qiao had no choice but to hand over his entire salary to her. Old Qiao did not have the ability to give her a separate allowance. Whether it was then or now, it was difficult to find in-laws like the Zhou family.

But even with such good in-laws, Qiao Zijin made such a great fuss that the Zhou family no longer wanted her as part of their family. Hearing Qiao Nan talk about how the Zhou family planned on getting Zhou Zheng to divorce Qiao Zijin made Ding Jiayi panic. But Qiao Zijin herself was extraordinarily calm, so much so that Ding Jiayi could not even bother being anxious on her behalf.

If Ding Jiayi were in her place and such good in-laws, she would never think of finding a lover outside and would dedicate herself to being the best daughter-in-law. Even with Old Qiao’s meager income, she had never gone astray in their marriage.

But Zijin was ungrateful, discontent, and committed such acts.

Since Qiao Zijin returned to the Qiao family and Ding Jiayi found out what Qiao Zijin had done, Ding Jiayi had been too embarrassed to leave the house to chat with others about their children. Her greatest fear was that her neighbors would ask why Qiao Zijin was staying at her parents’ house for such a long time and did not seem to have any intention of returning to her in-laws’ house. If Qiao Zijin was not returning, was the Zhou family not going to pick her up? Did Qiao Zijin not need to raise her daughter?

Ding Jiayi knew that she alone would never be able to answer all these questions.