Chapter 556: Heart Aches for Qiao Nan

If he was too harsh, he was afraid of hurting his daughter's heart. If he said it too lightly, he was afraid that his daughter would not understand.

To put it bluntly, no one could tell that Shi Peng was, in fact, his daughter's 'slave'.

Qiao Nan, who was suddenly 'nominated', rolled her eyes. He just mentioned about giving her a 'favor' and she had to return it so soon?

It was impolite not to reciprocate.

Officer Shi was truly a true-blue Chinese!

"The mistake you made today is that you nearly changed our original advantageous situation of being morally ethical to a disadvantageous situation of being disrespectful to our elders. You know China's culture very well. We're very particular about filial piety. Qi Minlan is your biological auntie. If you scream and shout at her outside, those who don't know the reason will certainly assume that you're in the wrong at first sight. Your dad is a patient, but your auntie is a woman. If you shout at your auntie, in the eyes of other people, your dad is helping you bully Qi Minlan. In the end, Qi Minlan will receive the full pity of others, not to mention suffering bone and nerve injuries. Your dad's political enemies will catch a handle of him and make a mountain out of a molehill because of it. Also, as for you, your name will make it big in the army. Whether this is a good or bad thing, you should know."

Making a mountain out of a molehill—this saying was not just all talk.

If some politicians played the tactics well, even the smallest matter could be transformed into strong wind or huge waves, or even storms or tornadoes.

"Qing Qing, you should learn more from Comrade Qiao Nan." His daughter looked confused although Qiao Nan had explained it so clearly and logically. Shi Peng had to admit that he had sheltered his daughter too well in the past. As such, when his daughter stepped into society, she would be easily bullied and shortchanged by others.

It was useless to have high intelligence quotient. Putting aside the textbook knowledge, the people who did well in the society were always those with high emotional intelligence.

"Clearly, my auntie was in the wrong, yet this could still happen?" Shi Qing widened her eyes and tugged the corners of her mouth. She sneered continuously.

The wrong became right and vice versa. Wasn't it pointing to black and calling it white?

"Shi Qing, hearing what you said, I feel that you're a child that just came out from the ivory tower." Undoubtedly, it was a blessing to have such parents. On the contrary, once the parents' protection was lost when she left the ivory tower, the hardships and sufferings that Shi Qing would encounter would be a multiple of those in her childhood.

"No choice. I just have one daughter. I've spoiled her. In the school, her surname is Shi. She's intelligent, her results are good, and the teachers like her. Thus, no one will bully her." So far, all of what Shi Qing had experienced was school life.

"Don't act mature in front of me. Don't forget that you're the same age as me!" Shi Qing would not concede defeat.

"Same age does not mean the same level of intelligence." Qiao Nan retorted.

Qiao Nan went to school a year earlier while Shi Qing skipped a grade when she was in the first year of junior high school. Hence, they were of the same age.

"Alright, don't bicker anymore. Qing Qing, you should already understand why now. Don't you owe Qiao Nan a word of thanks?" Shi Peng did not know whether to laugh or cry. Clearly, Qing Qing was always quite mature and act like an elder person. Why did she seem so childish in front of Qiao Nan?

Did she lose herself because of love? It should not be. Qing Qing was not even like that in front of Zhai Sheng.

"I've given her such a thick Oxford Dictionary. Haven't I thanked her enough?" Shi Qing was really feeling sullen. It was fine that she could not compete with Qiao Nan on her grades. Why did she also lose to Qiao Nan so much in relationship matters?

"Certainly. Compared to the two superficial words 'thank you', I prefer something more practical," Qiao Nan said in a worldly-wise manner.

"Sour." Shi Qing gulped down the cup of water into her tummy. It was as if she was trying to extinguish the fire of anguish in her caused by Qi Minlan and Qiu Chenxi. "Dad, after today's matter, auntie and Qiu Chenxi won't come and kick up a fuss again, will they?"

Her father had to rest. Before he left the army, he was definitely going to be busy.

If he had to deal with the trouble created by Qiu Chenxi and auntie every now and then, how could her father get well?

"At the very least, we should be safe for a period of time," Shi Peng said coldly. Visiting him meant that the Qiu family would have to spend a lot of money. Qi Minlan was already used to taking and not giving. His parents also thought that they could benefit from Qi Minlan because of the latter's relationship with Zhai Yaohui. They believed that the Shi family would eventually need to rely on Qi Minlan, the daughter who was married to others.

At the thought of this, there was a flash of sarcasm in Shi Peng's eyes.

In the past, didn't the Qiu family also accept Qi Minlan and let Qiu Qin marry Qi Minlan because of this reason?

Shi Qing was in such fury that she clenched her fist and slammed it hard on the table. "Qiao Nan, promise me that you must not let Qiu Chenxi get her way. You have to marry Zhai... Anyway, your marriage with him has to be successful. You have to drive Qiu Chenxi and auntie to their graves. They are most complacent now, but isn't that because Qiu Chenxi nearly got engaged to Brother Zhai? Now, she already lost the affirmation of all the members of the Zhai family. I would like to wait and see how arrogant she can be."

So, the greatest reason that her grandparents were so good to Qiu Chenxi was the Zhai family?

At the thought that this was quite far-fetched and that her grandparents still wanted to make the effort and harbored such an idea, Shi Qing felt sad and pitiful.

That infuriated look on Shi Qing's reddened face made Shi Peng and Qiao Nan understand that this young lady who just walked out from the ivory tower was beginning to be enlightened.

"Alright, it's late. You all should go back and do your own things. There's no issue at my side now. Qiao Nan, do well for the class tonight. I think there are only a few classes left. Don't let it have a strong start but a weak finish." Due to this event, Qiao Nan earned a very good reputation in the army.

Besides the political commissar and the Zhai family who addressed Qiao Nan as Comrade Xiao Qiao, all the other people in the army, from junior ordinary soldiers to battalion commanders, addressed her as Teacher Xiao Qiao respectfully.

Considering Qiao Nan's age, able to make battalion commanders address her as a teacher was definitely an experience and merit that others of her age could not achieve.

"Thanks, Officer Shi, for the reminder. Will do." Qiao Nan took a deep breath. Her expression turned more serious.

Initially, she came to give classes due to her master. However, after hearing Officer Shi's words, she felt that she had to shoulder more pressure. Seemingly, if she did not teach well, it would affect the case of her marrying into the Zhai family in the future. It would even affect the number of people who would be affirmative and accepting of her.

Clearly, it was a very simple matter but it had become so complicated. Qiao Nan did not know what to say.

At the sight of Qiao Nan looking unhappy when she left, Shi Qing stayed back for a while. "Dad, you kept telling Qiao Nan all these. Aren't you afraid of frightening her badly? She's just an eighteen-year-old lady. Too much pressure will crush someone." At the thought of Qiao Nan's situation, Shi Qing felt her heart aching for Qiao Nan. It seemed that Qiao Nan had a difficult road ahead of her.