The bedroom had a fan on and two ice basins were placed, which allowed Xiao Nuan to sleep very soundly.
Looking at her daughter's sleeping face, Jhiang Yuan felt extremely at peace inside, thinking that all her efforts and sacrifices were worthwhile.
Her mother had made them a late-night snack, dumplings filled with pork and pickled cabbage.
Due to the hot weather, the pickled cabbage fermented very quickly, and today it was just right to give it a try.
Jhiang Yuan hadn't eaten pickled cabbage filled dumplings for a long time because Xia Chaoyang's family only liked to eat chives.
Thus, whenever there was food with fillings at home, it was either chive and egg, chive and meat, or chive and glass noodles.
She had once mentioned to them that she wanted to try different fillings in dumplings, but her former mother-in-law ridiculed her.
She told her to conform to her husband's family; Xia Chaoyang did the same, telling her to fuss less.
It wasn't that she was fussy; it was just that chives, for her, could cause heartburn if she ate too much.
Even when she was breastfeeding Xiao Nuan, they still insisted on eating chives.
Everyone knew that chives could reduce milk supply, yet no one cared.
Looking back now, she felt like a joke, carefully maintaining a marriage that still ended in complete failure.
What exactly did marriage bring to a woman?
Loss of self, trapped in family life, efforts that are never appreciated.
Better to live more freely, caring too much about others' thoughts is just asking for trouble.
"That girl downstairs is really annoying; we should all keep our distance from her in the future."
"Dad, you've seen it too, it's not that we bother her, but that she keeps troubling us."
Jhiang Xingzhi knew all too well, but what could be done, living upstairs and downstairs from each other.
Now not being able to use the elevator, and having to see her every time we look up or down.
"By the way, I think I saw Xia Chaoyang today!"
Qin Yue was a bit nervous, glanced at Jhiang Xingzhi, and then at Jhiang Yuan.
"Yeah, he and that woman were also out shopping."
Jhiang Yuan recounted everything that happened in front of the supermarket, and of course, she also mentioned the neighbor who helped her.
"Serves him right; you kicked him too gently. Why keep someone around who can't control his lower half?"
Qin Yue was quite angry, with more resentment growing these past few days, she had already wished she could beat up Xia Chaoyang.
"Mom, it's okay, don't worry about him anymore, it's all in the past."
"Yuanyuan, you should listen to Mom from now on, you must never get involved with that kind of person again.
Back then, I was against your marriage; I could tell from the start his parents weren't good people..."
"Why bring that up, just making things harder for the girl," Jhiang Xingzhi glared at Qin Yue.
"Mom won't talk about it anymore, Yuanyuan, rest assured, your parents will always be your support."
Jhiang Yuan was also a bit moved, in the world, the only ones who would forgive you unconditionally and treat you well were your parents.
"Mom, I'll listen to you, I won't go against you anymore."
"Good."
Qin Yue went to serve some dumpling soup, and Jhiang Yuan clearly saw the wiping of tears.
In the past, due to marrying Xia Chaoyang, she had ignored her parents' objections, leaving the elderly couple in their hometown.
Now bruised and battered, her parents had come over without hesitation to take care of her.
If she still couldn't see clearly, that would be utterly disgraceful.
Now with her parents and daughter by her side, and everyone safe, what else could be more fortunate?
Jhiang Yuan went to sleep contentedly, enjoying a good night's rest.
Just when she thought everything had settled down, the next morning at breakfast, an unexpected visitor arrived.
Jhiang Xingzhi watched through the surveillance, thinking Bai Mengmeng wasn't even as pretty as his daughter, and her character was no good either—had Xia Chaoyang's mind been kicked by a donkey?
"Daughter, don't worry about it. Let's just stay inside and let her create a scene!" Qin Yue was worried about Jhiang Yuan and kept holding her hand.
"Right, just watch, don't mind her..."
Outside, Bai Mengmeng was blocked in the hallway on the 20th floor, cursing loudly, none of her frail, moonlight-like demeanor remained.
"Jhiang Yuan, come out here! You hit someone and then ran, you must take responsibility, come out now..."
"Jhiang Yuan, stop being a coward. Do you want to drive me to death? If you don't explain yourself today, I'm not leaving!"
"Jhiang Yuan, if you don't come out, I'm calling the police!"
The number of people in the stairwell was increasing, led by those on the 20th floor, all watching with keen interest.
Bai Mengmeng seemed to gain more confidence, slapping the door, and even started kicking it.
Really unable to bear it anymore, genius opened the door.
"Call the police then. I really want to see how the police handle a homewrecker like you."
Upon hearing Jhiang Yuan's voice, the homeowners downstairs suddenly felt like they were witnessing some juicy drama, and gossip hearts fiercely lit up.
"Don't change the subject. You beat up Chaoyang; what are we going to do about it?"
"What to do about it? Serve it cold!"
"You..."
Bai Mengmeng didn't expect Jhiang Yuan to play dirty; her eyes shifted around, and another plan came to mind.
"Sister Jhiang Yuan, I know we've wronged you, but Chaoyang and I sincerely love each other.
You've already taken all the money at home, can't you let us go? We really have nothing now."
After saying that, she began to wipe her tears.
"Why does she have to be like this? We could have settled things amicably. Is all this necessary?"
The woman from the 20th floor spoke, and Jhiang Yuan cast a lethal look at her.
"Since you are so kind-hearted, why don't you take them in and support them?"
"What's it got to do with me? Why should I support them?"
"Now that you know it has nothing to do with you, shut your mouth."
"You..."
Seeing the situation turning sour, Bai Mengmeng hurriedly intervened: "Sister Jhiang Yuan, I'm sorry, please don't blame this kind-hearted sister.
I came here today to ask if you could lend us some money. Chaoyang is seriously injured; we need to go to the hospital."
"Bai Mengmeng, are you out of your mind?
Xia Chaoyang cheated during our marriage, even while I was pregnant.
We're not even divorced yet, and you moved in with him with your child, pressuring me to divorce. What did I say?
You got the 300 square meters house in the city, what did I get, and now you're eyeing my alimony?
Are you really out of money? If Xia Chaoyang can buy this house for you behind my back, doesn't he have any private funds?
And now you have the nerve to say all this to me."
Bai Mengmeng felt bitter too. She had taken all the money from home to get rid of Jhiang Yuan.
They thought they still had the shop, which was like a hen that lays eggs, but who would have known the weather would become so hot and the market would close?
They hadn't made a penny thus far, and her money was almost all spent.
"But Chaoyang was injured by you; at least pay for his medical expenses."
"Psh, have you no shame? I struggle to snatch some food in the supermarket, and you still come to steal it. Why, am I in the wrong for defending myself?"
"I'm not stealing; I'm asking to borrow!"
Jhiang Yuan scoffed coldly: "Since it's unclear, let's just call the police then."