Chapter 347: Keep Up Appearances

Knowing that she had said enough, Qiao Nan spoke no more. She returned to her room and took out her book to do her revision.

Qiao Nan stayed in her room for a long time, studying by herself. It was so long that she had thought that even though her father was dealt with such a big blow, he still could not understand and insisted on deceiving himself. But right then, Qiao Dongliang went into Qiao Nan's study room. He had a grim expression on his face. "Nan Nan, have you known about it all along? Why didn't you say it before? Why did you wait till today to tell me?"

"Because I don't want to be bullied anymore. I used to have some doubts, but I am certain now. Take for example what happened a year ago. If I didn't study and worked instead, who would stand to gain in our family?"

"That would be your mom..."

"Dad, do you really think that Mom could come up with all these things? I once told you that I want to enter college, and I can earn the tuition fees with my own effort. Even when I go to college, I can also work while studying to earn my living expenses. In that case, if I study in college, it will not be as much a burden as what you think. It's just that it will be more tiring on me. Then, why was Mom so insistent, leaving no room for negotiation? Why did she insist that I quit school? Dad, let me ask you. If you know that I can earn most of my tuition and living expenses, will you want me to drop out of school?"

"No." Since there was an opportunity for both of his daughters to go to college together, it would be a glorious thing to have two college students in the family. Why should he stop her from doing that? It was having the best of both worlds.

"Yes, you won't. In fact, Mom won't, either." Qiao Nan nodded.

"Your mom... Nan Nan, you have such confidence in her? I thought..." Nan Nan and Ding Jiayi were at loggerheads with each other. He thought that Nan Nan would not speak up for Ding Jiayi.

"It's true that I am not close with Mom, but I will not badmouth her for this reason. Dad, Mom actually likes to keep up appearances. She wants more than you for my sister to study hard and go to a good college in the future. Otherwise, she would not spend five thousand yuan to let my sister go to The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China. She will feel very proud to have two college students at home. She could brag to her family and hold her head high. Dad, you should know best that Mom does not get along well with her family. Mom always feels that my sister is smart and will definitely have a bright future. She wants nothing more than to bask in her success, and when she visits her mother's house, she can prove to everyone that her choice was correct. That it was her mother who let her down, but she has chosen a better path for herself."

Ding Jiayi's past weighed heavily on her heart. She had misgivings with her mother.

Ding Jiayi wanted to prove to her family through all means that she was very blessed and her decision back then was correct.

It was not that she did not care for her family. It was her family who let her down in the first place, wanting to sell her off in return for money.

That was why when Qiao Zijin married Chen Jun in the past, her mother was so happy that she went back to her village where she used to stay with a lot of wedding candies. She went door to door giving them out, telling everyone that her daughter had married well, and that she was in-laws with the superintendent of Ping Cheng police station.

Her mother would do everything she could as long as she could prove to her family that she was better than them.

"Do you mean that the reason why your mom was so determined and that there was no room for negotiation was due to your sister? She gave her this idea? This couldn't be. Didn't you say that you can work while studying? In other words, if you go to college, you will not affect her, and she will be able to study in college as well."

There was no conflict if both Zijin and Nan Nan went to college. Zijin could not possibly do that.

Qiao Nan had a bitter smile on her face. "Dad, don't forget that Zijin is Mom's daughter. Both of them like to keep up appearances. Since a young age, both of you would praise my sister, saying that she was better than me. Mom, in particular, would insult me while she praised Zijin. Everyone in the quad was full of praise for my sister as well. However, ever since I went to school, nobody would praise my sister or say that she was more outstanding than me anymore. In the quad, as long as the topic is about one's performance in school, they will say that I am their role model. Everyone will praise me for my good results, but what about my sister?"

There was a year when Qiao Zijin did badly for her Mathematics. In the end, she had to help her sister to revise.

"Dad, if I continue to study, even if my sister really has the opportunity to go to college, not only will other people compare their children with me, but they will also compare Zijin with me. Wherever she goes, she will be compared with me. People will tease her, saying that her younger sister has better results than her. Will she feel comfortable after hearing all these words?"

Qiao Zijin framed her and prevented her from studying. It was not merely the issue of money.

"Nan Nan, did you think too much? How could your sister be so..." vicious.

Just because Zijin could not stand that Nan Nan was better than her, Zijin would instigate her mother such that the latter would deprive Nan Nan of the opportunity to study even though both of them had the opportunity to go to college?

This was impossible!

Was it necessary to ruin the future of her sister just for the sake of keeping up appearances?

Qiao Dongliang gasped and could not believe what he heard.

"Dad, I had a fever in the second year of junior high school. Someone opened my window on a rainy night. I recalled that the person who opened the window in my room was my sister, not my mother. I asked my sister about it, but she did not admit it."

Qiao Zijin orchestrated everything so that she would drop out of school.

Qiao Nan felt weary at the thought of all these.

When she was as simple as a piece of white paper, Qiao Zijin was already very cunning and scheming.

Adults could not even match up to Qiao Zijin's schemes and wits, let alone her peers.

Qiao Zijin was her mother's brain, whereas her mother was Qiao Zijin's gun.

Their relationship was very straightforward.

Every time, her mother would be the one who started the trouble, and nobody would notice Qiao Zijin who hid behind her mother.

In fact, Ding Jiayi was Qiao Zijin's scapegoat. Qiao Nan did not know what to say about this.