Chapter 559 Ji Qingqing on the Fire

Chapter 559: Ji Qingqing on the Fire

The group stayed at the South Sea Hotel for three days, enjoying the scenery, eating seafood, and spending a day playing in the sea at an open-air beach.

Under the guidance of the three men, the three northerners, who were like ducks out of water, managed to learn how to paddle.

On the fourth day, Su An had to return to school, and Chu Shuyu and Gangzi also prepared to go back to City A.

Zuo Zuying sent Su An back to school and then turned around to send Gangzi and Chu Shuyu away.

On the first day back from the holiday, chaos erupted at the school gate after classes ended.

As soon as Su An and Jiang Liping came out of the teaching building, they were pointed at by several girls.

"Is she Su An from the Journalism Department?"

"Yes, it's her."

Confused, Su An was approached by a short-haired girl, a student from Room 204, "Su An, Su An, quickly go to the school gate, your boyfriend is waiting for you. He's been there for hours."

Following the crowd, Su An walked out of the school and saw Zuo Saopao, wearing sunglasses, leaning against his car with a bouquet of flowers, showing off and spreading rumors to the onlookers.

"Do you know Su An? She's from the Journalism Department, my girlfriend."

"Oh, I'm waiting for her here. Didn't she say she had no classes this afternoon? Why hasn't she come out yet?"

"Hey, if you see her, could you pass on a message?"

"Oh, you know her too? Yes, I'm her boyfriend. We've been together for years, childhood sweethearts, innocent and carefree. Her mom likes me a lot, our families are as close as one."

"She's staying at my place during the holiday. Her mom is worried about her and specifically asked me to keep an eye on her."

"Su An is here, Su An is here."

Hearing everyone's shouts, Zu Zuying scanned the crowd with his gaze and waved at Su An, "Su An~, over here."

Su An used a book to shield her face as she jogged over, complaining, "Big Brother, what are you doing?"

Zu Zuying grinned, "I came to pick you up after class."

With that, he opened the car door for Su An and waved to the crowd behind him, "Bye, everyone, see you next time~"

Zu Zuying’s declaration of ownership was very successful.

Everyone who knew Su An knew she had a nouveau riche boyfriend who was a sycophant. Even those who didn’t know her were aware that the journalism major Su An had a nouveau riche boyfriend.

Moreover, her boyfriend was slick, handsome, and flashy, with a gentle appearance and wealth.

Given Zu Zuying’s style, many girls who didn’t like this type found themselves somewhat attracted, gradually getting used to his presence.

For a time, Su An’s boyfriend in the journalism department became a hot topic among classmates.

**

While things were sweet in the south, several families in the north were in turmoil.

After Su Jiao fled with the money, Su Jianjun threatened to report it to the police. For Su Jiao’s sake, Ji Qingqing promised to find a way to cover the household expenses.

But what could she do? In her entire life, she only worked for a few years at a ceramics factory under Guan Chundong’s protection when she married him. Later, after leaving the Guan family with Su Jiao and before marrying into the Su family, her job position was taken by her sister-in-law from her natal family.

After marrying Su Jianjun, she never went back to work, relying on his meager salary and exploiting Su An and Su Ping to get by.

After Su An and Su Ping left home, the family relied on Lu Jinan's family. Su Jiao also received a substantial dowry when she got married, and Su Jianjun’s monthly salary was high. In the beginning, Su Jiao would occasionally provide some financial support.

Now things have changed.

Without Su An and Su Ping, who were like two old workhorses, the job at the canning factory is gone, and they’ve lost their support from Lu Jinan. Su Jiao has even taken all the money from the family.

Su Jianjun faced repeated setbacks in his job search. After Ji Qingqing promised to cover the household expenses herself, Su Jianjun gave up and stopped looking for work altogether.

The daily expenses, rent, and Su Lei’s tuition fees all required money. Ji Qingqing felt overwhelmed, as if a mountain was pressing down on her. Her eyes turned red from worrying about money, and she had to take care of Su Jianjun, who was lying around at home, while also worrying about Su Jiao outside.

Su Jianjun’s mental state had completely collapsed. He had worked hard to pass the exams and get a job at the canning factory after moving back from the countryside, but after struggling for most of his life, he still lived in a temporary rental.

Especially when he learned by chance that Wang Xiaocui had opened her own store and become a boss, managing several employees, and even the entire Wang family from the countryside had moved to City A.

Not to mention Wang Yongzheng, who drove a large truck with great success, even Wang Yongshun, the cripple, ran a wholesale shop and lived a prosperous life.

In comparison, Su Jianjun felt increasingly unbalanced, believing that fate was unfair and that he had a hard life.

Previously, he would have been willing to do any formal job, but now, after comparing himself to the Wang family and Wang Xiaocui, he found that ordinary jobs no longer appealed to him.

Why should a rough and rude woman from the countryside like Wang Xiaocui be able to open a shop and become a boss, while he, an educated man, could only work hard and be scolded like a dog by a leader younger than him by ten years?

No more, no more going to work. Since working doesn’t help him save money anyway, and since Ji Qingqing said she would support the family, let her do it. Otherwise, does she think it was easy for him all these years?

After giving up, Su Jianjun spent his days at home, eating and sleeping, occasionally lamenting his fate and complaining about the injustice of life, even slamming tables and breaking bowls at Ji Qingqing every now and then.

It was only after Ji Qingqing went out of her way to beg people, speak nicely, and give gifts to build connections that she managed to find Su Jianjun a light job as a warehouse supervisor.

Ji Qingqing had to say all the sweet words before Su Jianjun reluctantly went to work.

Though he was unwilling to admit it, seeing the Wang family's thriving life made Su Jianjun regretful.

He wasn't regretting his divorce from Wang Xiaocui; what he regretted was that even after the divorce, they shouldn't have let things become so strained between them.

After all, he was the biological father of Su An and Su Ping. Their bloodline connected them, a bond no one could deny.

The current awkward situation was entirely caused by Ji Qingqing. Her heartlessness towards her stepchildren had left him in a difficult position, damaging his relationship with the two children.

Ji Qingqing felt as if she were living on hot coals. While Su Jianjun harbored resentment towards her, she too was seething with anger.

After Gu Chun Dong passed away, she had to leave the Gu family with Jiaojiao and rely on her own family. Unfortunately, her two sisters-in-law were not easy to get along with, always trying to take advantage of her. They not only coveted her job but also meddled in her marriage, even eyeing Jiaojiao. That's why she set her sights on Su Jianjun, quickly severing ties with the Ji family to escape their clutches.

She thought Su Jianjun would give her a stable home, but what did she get?

Thinking she had found a treasure, she ended up with a pile of shit.

Lin Zhaodi favored her own and looked down on Su Jianjun. She managed everything inside and outside the house. A few years of stability were followed by countless beatings. Living like this now was worse than when she was raising Jiaojiao alone!

Life was already tough enough, but Lin Zhaodi, that old hag, refused to die after dragging on for so long!

Su Jianguo and Liu Huilan frequently came over demanding money. She finally learned from Wang Xiaocui and started selling snacks from a cart, but they kept causing trouble every day.

Thinking about her current predicament, a venomous look flashed in Ji Qingqing's eyes. Since the adults didn't want to bear the blame for being unfilial, she would leave it to the ignorant children.