Chapter 2: The Truth in the Recording Pen (2)

Huan Tiantian was shocked once again. It turned out that the Qis not only slandered her for not being able to have children, but also their engagement with Qi Jianguo was not because he saved her, but rather a setup by them?

How many more secrets does this Qi family have that she doesn't know about?

After a while, Qi Fangfang asked again, "Mom, how did you and dad set up the situation? Does my big brother know?"

"Hehe, your big brother is quite clever, of course he knows, it was his own idea. Your dad and I just followed your big brother's plan, and it really worked. If it weren't for your sister-in-law back then, your brother wouldn't have found a good wife, and our family wouldn't be living as well as we are now," Qi's mother said proudly. Initially, she was hesitant to do it, afraid of being ridiculed if things failed, but thankfully she listened to her son's advice. Otherwise, their family would definitely not be as respectable as it is now, and people wouldn't envy them.

Heaven, Qi Jianguo knew, he knew everything, and he was the mastermind.

"Mom, I heard my sister-in-law say that she fell into a trap and stayed there all night. My brother went up the mountain to find her, wanting to save her, but accidentally fell into the trap himself and almost broke his leg. At night, my sister-in-law was scared, and my brother told jokes, and then they developed feelings for each other," Qi Fangfang said. "Now that you've said this, was it all arranged by you in advance, with my sister-in-law falling into the trap and my brother going to find her?"

"You've guessed it this time," Qi's mother said. "At that time, there was no food to eat, and the villagers were all out digging for wild vegetables, and your sister-in-law went too. In order to lure your sister-in-law to that remote place, I even gave your third aunt ten eggs! The trap was dug by your dad and your big brother, just waiting for your sister-in-law to come and fall into it. Your big brother's left leg was already shorter than his right, even if he broke one leg, he would get a beautiful wife in return. What a profitable deal!"

The trap was dug by Qi Jianguo!

Everything was a trap set up by Qi Jianguo and his family, and she was like a foolish deer, diving in and becoming their prey, serving as a slave in that family for so many years!

Huan Tiantian's heart was in agony, sitting on the ground, her legs numb, but this was far from the excruciating numbness in her heart.

"Ah, children, after all, cannot leave their parents' side," Qi Fangfang said. "If my sister-in-law's parents were with her, maybe our family wouldn't have taken advantage of her."

"Heh, her parents?" Qi's mother sneered. "The letters her parents sent were handed to me by your second uncle, who was the accountant. At that time, when your brother broke his leg, Huan Tiantian and your brother were developing feelings for each other. How could I let your sister-in-law see the letters, even if her father was critically ill, I didn't bring out the letters."

Heaven, the Qi family were a bunch of scoundrels, they actually... they actually hid her letters. She didn't get to see her parents for the last time, and was only informed by the neighboring village's Liu Lingli that her parents had passed away, asking for help. That was when Huan Tiantian found out that her parents had already passed away.

In the city, she could no longer see her mother's tenderness, her father's smile, only the cold urns.

"Mom... Mom..." Qi Fangfang said, "This isn't right, you should at least let my sister-in-law and her parents meet!"

"Heh, what's wrong with that? If her parents hadn't died, how could our family have taken advantage of the Hes' courtyard?" Qi's mother said. "I heard Huan Tiantian say that her family used to be wealthy, but I don't believe it. Even our poor Qi family, for generations, knows to hide a couple of silver dollars, let alone a wealthy family like the Hes'. If I hadn't let you pass the exam to the city where your sister-in-law's family is, could you have dug up that box of things from her family's underground?"

Back then, the mother-in-law said that since they weren't going to the southern city, they would leave the courtyard for Fangfang to live in. At that time, she didn't think much of it and let Qi Fangfang live there. But she didn't expect that Qi Fangfang would dig up something from her family's place, and only gave her a small jade pendant, saying it was bought from Lao Fengxiang.

At that time, Huan Tiantian was extremely grateful, thinking that Qi Fangfang treated her like family. She never went back to the southern city, and directly transferred the house to Qi Fangfang.

She was so foolish, sold by others, and even gave them money, just like a fool.

"Hehe!" Qi Fangfang forced a smile and said, "Mom, you are the smartest in our family. After I went to my sister-in-law's family, although it was empty inside, after living there for a while, I really found some good things. If it weren't for selling a bracelet, our family wouldn't have had the money to buy a big house in the city."

"You still have a conscience, knowing to give me a bracelet to wear," Qi's mother said proudly. "I heard that the old house is about to be demolished, can it fetch a good price?"

"Yes, it can be exchanged for four houses and a compensation of fifty-five thousand," Qi Fangfang said excitedly. "Mom, when the time comes, I'll give my brother a house, and give you a hundred thousand for retirement, and the rest I'll use to renovate the house and rent it out."

Qi Fangfang is an elementary school teacher, and her husband Zhou Hongqi is a salesperson who often travels to the southern city for business, and they live in the He family's courtyard.

The treasures in the house were also kept secret from Zhou Hongqi by Qi Fangfang, so their daily life was not particularly affluent, but thankfully they had support from the mother's family, and their life was quite enjoyable. When the compensation came, they would also be wealthy.

Huan Tiantian held her head in her hands, fiercely pulling her hair.

That was her family's house, and she just gave it away to the heartless Qi Fangfang.

The sound of the door opening came from the recording pen, "Ka-da," and then a voice said, "Fang Fang, that house was given to your family by your sister-in-law. You should also give your sister-in-law a set of houses."

Qi Jianguo was unexpectedly there too!

This person and his family had woven such a big web of lies, blinded her eyes, and left her helpless after losing her parents. At her most vulnerable, when she needed warmth and family the most, she agreed to Qi Jianguo's pursuit. Now it seemed so absurd, ridiculous, like a clown jumping around.

"Brother, why do you need so many houses? In the future, Zhi Cheng and I will take care of you in your old age, and sister-in-law will also make money," Qi Fangfang said. "Brother, the people who demolished our area are the same people who went to Qi's village to find sister-in-law back then, called... called... Huo Yingjie. If sister-in-law takes the house, when she sees Huo Yingjie in the future, the things you did before will be exposed. Although sister-in-law is usually kind, she's very shrewd in her heart. She will blame you when that time comes!"

Huo Yingjie?

She hadn't heard that name for many years, and she didn't expect to learn the hidden truth after so many years from this small recording pen! She even heard the name of that person!

Just now, Qi Fangfang said that Huo Yingjie came to see her, but she didn't meet Huo Yingjie back then?

"Who is this Huo Yingjie?" Qi's mother asked in confusion. "What is his relationship with your sister-in-law?"

"Mom, you haven't seen that Huo Yingjie. He's very handsome. When my brother and sister-in-law were not married, he came to see sister-in-law, and I happened to meet him. I told my brother about it, and I don't know what my brother said to that person, but then Huo Yingjie left. Shortly after that, my brother and sister-in-law got married," Qi Fangfang said. "Brother, what did you say at that time?"

Qi Jianguo smiled and said, "Hehe, nothing much, just staged a play. I pretended to fall, and your sister-in-law helped me and showed concern for me, which was seen by that person. I also had Old Wu from the scrap station in the county imitate Huo Yingjie's handwriting and wrote a heartless letter to your sister-in-law, saying that he had found a like-minded partner at work. After your sister-in-law read the letter, she tore it up and gave up, without replying. Then I had Old Wu imitate your sister-in-law's handwriting and wrote a letter to that Huo Yingjie, saying that she was about to get married, cutting off all ties, and it was none of his business..."

"Well, in that case, Jianguo, we don't want that house anymore, so that your wife won't run into her old lover and cause embarrassment," Qi's mother said. "Fang Fang, you give us 400,000 out of the 550,000, and your brother and I will take it. Don't tell your sister-in-law, understand?"

A set of houses is worth more than 400,000. Qi Fangfang readily agreed, "Okay, when the money comes, I'll transfer it to you. Brother, do you... do you have any objections?"

Qi Jianguo pondered for a moment and said, "Ah... no objections..." Mother was right, it's better not to let his wife return to the southern city, so as not to tarnish his reputation at this age.

The long-buried memories, along with Qi Jianguo's words in the recording pen, reminded He Tiantian of the past.

At that time, Qi Jianguo had saved her life, and she was only grateful to him, never thinking of marrying him. But that day, she received a letter from Huo Yingjie and was heartbroken. Huo Yingjie was her first love, and they had promised to be together in the future.

Huo Yingjie's betrayal, her parents' deaths, had left He Tiantian deeply hurt and bedridden. Throughout, Qi's mother and Qi Fangfang took great care of her, and Qi Jianguo was very attentive to her, seeking medical advice and care. After she recovered, she accepted Qi Jianguo.

He Tiantian naively thought that there was no love, but having family affection was also precious. She, who was lonely, desperately needed the warmth of a family, which gave her the courage to live on.

But she never expected that at the age of fifty, she would learn the truth, and that the first half of her life had been lived in a web of lies.