"Well, of course!"

"Then why is it that when my aunt was beaten by that man and wanted a divorce, Grandpa and Grandma refused? You were against it at first, too. In the end, it was my dad who had to drag you along to help our aunt get her divorce."

Qin Bogang was at a loss for words.

He hemmed and hawed for a long time before finally mumbling, "What does a kid like you know? They say it’s better to tear down a temple than to break up a marriage. Your aunt isn’t educated. After a divorce, pushing thirty... how was she supposed to find another partner?"

"But my aunt did find someone. Uncle Sun is wonderful. He’s very motivated, can do anything, and is incredibly hardworking."

Well, the conversation had come full circle. Qin Bogang realized he couldn’t win an argument against his sharp-tongued niece.

And besides...

Qin Jiao said with a faint smile, "Uncle, you should stop calling me a kid. I’m nineteen. At my age, weren’t people in your generation already dating and getting married? Besides, I’m well-educated, so my views on certain things might be a bit more modern than yours."

Qin Bogang was speechless. After all, out of everyone in the family, this girl was the most educated. Word was her grades were excellent, which meant she was on track to get into a prestigious university.

As Qin Bogang left in defeat, Qin Zhonghui looked at his daughter, his eyes a mixture of fond exasperation and doting love.

"You and your sharp tongue. You never let anyone get the better of you."

Qin Jiao’s eyes crinkled in a smile. "Isn’t that a good thing, Dad? Otherwise, if I were to get bullied out in the world, wouldn’t you and Mom just end up worrying about me?"

Qin Zhonghui nodded, thinking that made a lot of sense. It was better for a daughter to be more assertive. That girl, Xiao Shi, had been way too timid before, which was why she’d been pushed around by Xiao Tao, who was younger than her. Now that she had become more lively and assertive, it was a good thing.

When the gathering ended, Sun Jianhua left with his son, and Qin Bogang’s family prepared to leave as well.

Qin Xiaolan, eager to set off firecrackers, immediately abandoned her parents and announced she was spending the night at Qin Jiao’s house.

Ordinarily, Sun Li would have said no, but she knew Qin Jiao did well in school and wanted her own daughter to learn a thing or two from her. So, for the first time ever, she agreed.

As the couple rode their bikes home, Qin Bogang couldn’t help but complain to his wife, saying he wasn’t optimistic about things between Qin Na and Sun Jianhua.

Sun Li sneered. "Whether you approve or not doesn’t matter. It’s not like you’re the one marrying Sun Jianhua."

Qin Bogang was exasperated. "That’s not the point. That Sun Jianhua fellow is just too poor."

"Just stay out of it. I think Xiao Na has more of her own mind now. It’s not like she doesn’t know life will be hard, but there’s definitely something about Sun Jianhua that she’s set on."

Qin Bogang felt as if the whole world was against him. He grew a little dejected and fell silent for a while before finally speaking up again, his voice sullen. "Why’d you let Xiao Lan hang around Xiao Jiao so much? You have no idea what a handful that girl Xiao Jiao is. She just spent ages lecturing me."

Sun Li asked, "What did she lecture you about?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Well, about Sun Jianhua and Xiao Na. I mean, she’s an unmarried girl, what business does she have meddling in things like that! Besides, being so feisty and sharp-tongued... she’d better watch out, or her future in-laws will end up hating her!"

Sun Li was so furious she felt like jumping off the bike. She laughed coldly and said, "What’s wrong with a girl being feisty and sharp? That way, she won’t be bullied when she marries into a new family. Just look at what happened to the second brother’s ex-wife, and to Xiao Na! Look how terribly they were treated! I think it’s good that a girl like Xiao Jiao has been feisty since she was young. Whether she gets married or is just living on her own, she’ll never let anyone push her around! I’d be happy if Xiao Lan turned out like her."

Qin Bogang went completely quiet.