CHAPTER 612: CHAPTER 249: SYSTEM CALLS ME TO SAVE THE DAY (PART 6)_3

She spoke as she walked outside, "Zhenbang, if you don’t agree, I will spread this throughout the entire village."

"Ha, because of your deception, I’m already the laughingstock of the village, I’m not afraid of one more accusation!"

Tiantian wasn’t afraid, but the Qiao Family was.

Their family was a decent one, moreover, in recent years the political climate had been tense, and Zhenbang’s grandfather had died because of "that."

Mr. Qiao, always so cautious and honest, had witnessed too much bloodshed and cruelty.

In contrast, the Jiao Family had a respectable background, and Mr. Jiao was even the head of the village committee.

In the past, Jiaojiao’s heart leaned towards her mother-in-law’s family. Although Mr. Jiao "despaired of his incompetent child," for the sake of his daughter, he still took care of the Qiao Family, both openly and secretly.

If Jiaojiao were to fall out with the Qiao Family, they would also have to face the Jiao Family’s targeting and revenge!

...Just the thought of it made Mr. Qiao shudder.

At this moment, he wasn’t crouching on the ground pretending he hadn’t heard or seen anything anymore.

He slowly stood up, holding a smoking pipe, and approached Zhenbang, striking him fiercely: "You reckless boy, I knew you’d bring trouble to our family!"

As he scolded him and hit him, his eyes kept darting towards Tiantian.

The meaning was clear: he was indirectly chastising one and sounding out the situation.

Mrs. Qiao, feeling sorry for her son, quickly rushed over to break it up, "Oh, old man, don’t be angry, let’s talk things over slowly!"

While speaking, Mrs. Qiao didn’t forget to scold her son, "Zhenbang, what exactly is going on!"

Her question sounded as if she was verifying whether Zhenbang had deceived Jiaojiao in the past.

In fact, Tiantian clearly understood Mrs. Qiao really wanted to know: how had a good and virtuous daughter-in-law turned into a shrewish woman in just half a day!

"..." Zhenbang heard his mother’s implications, and he truly knew why "Jiaojiao" had changed.

But the problem was, he couldn’t tell the truth.

After thinking, Zhenbang finally came up with a barely plausible excuse: "Well, Mom, Jiaojiao is pregnant!"

Pregnant?

Mrs. Qiao was stunned for a moment, looked at her son, then turned her head to glance at Tiantian, her eyes rolling.

After a long while, a look of realization flashed in her eyes: "Oh~~, so that’s why."

Pregnant women naturally become somewhat whimsical.

If her son really had deceived Jiaojiao in the past, and now Jiaojiao was pregnant but still couldn’t live well, she would undoubtedly explode.

As for the past year, the reason Jiaojiao had been so diligent and virtuous, Mrs. Qiao, putting herself in Jiaojiao’s shoes, also found a plausible explanation.

All women, when marrying into a husband’s family, often feel somewhat lacking in confidence.

But, being pregnant, having a child, changes everything.

If she could give birth to a son, a woman might even feel she’s an Outstanding Official.

All the tolerance, all the pretense, might erupt because of a son.

Not to mention others, even Mrs. Qiao herself, when she first married into the Qiao Family, felt like an outsider, careful and restrained.

Only after having her eldest son, Zhenbang, did she feel she had truly found her footing in her husband’s family.

Afterward, having a second son, Mrs. Qiao increasingly saw herself as the matriarch of the family, and she even sent her mother-in-law back to the old house to "enjoy some quiet."

Connecting her own experiences, Mrs. Qiao came to understand her daughter-in-law’s "transformation."

She suppressed the mixed thoughts at the bottom of her heart, left Zhenbang aside, and smilingly ran to grab Tiantian’s arm, "Oh, Jiaojiao, why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?"

"I blame myself, you didn’t change your clothes last month, I should have realized!"

"Oh me, I really am getting senile! Jiaojiao, don’t be angry with Mama, alright!"

"Right, Jiaojiao, you must be hungry, what would you like to eat? I’ll go make it for you now!"

While speaking, Mrs. Qiao’s eyes gleefully examined Tiantian’s flat abdomen.

"I want chicken, and oh, buns with chive and egg filling!"

Tiantian didn’t hold back, directly placing her order.

Mrs. Qiao: ...really not holding back! Isn’t it just being pregnant? Which woman in the world isn’t pregnant? Are you the only one so delicate?

And you dare crave chicken?

Why don’t you just go to heaven?

The Qiao Family raised hens, but those were for laying eggs to sell.

Mrs. Qiao rarely even spared eggs, much less the laying hen.

But raising her eyes to see Tiantian’s sharp and catty demeanor, the scolding at her lips was swallowed back.

"...Alright, I’ll go stew a chicken for you!"

Saying this, Mrs. Qiao walked back to the yard, constantly looking back, obviously hoping Tiantian would call her.

Tiantian did speak up, but the words she said nearly made Mrs. Qiao trip and fall: "Mom, let Second Brother kill the chicken, I’ll go make the fire, and you steam the buns."

"And Zhenbang, don’t just stand around, go out and figure out a way. The money and things I want, you must get them to me quickly!"

"Otherwise, just wait and see!"