The son-in-law, Li Yujie felt it wasn’t appropriate to speak out. He wasn’t aware that his actions had been exposed; he merely exchanged glances with his wife, and Pei Qi immediately chimed in, “Yes, I don’t agree either! Dad, if you’re arranging an engagement for your grandson, shouldn’t you make sure his mother is satisfied? This child was brought into the world with great difficulty by my sister-in-law!”
Pei Mingjiang’s sister-in-law also chimed in, “Exactly! Even if you value this Fu Qingli, there’s no need to rush into an engagement, right?”
This sister-in-law had looked down on the girl before and had even wanted her family to arrange a match for Pei Xiyue, often making sarcastic remarks.
If Fu Qingli truly became the lady of the house, these people would probably find it hard to thrive.
Pei Mingjiang’s expression darkened, and Pei Qi, who had long been afraid of her father’s anger, shrank her neck and dared not speak. Pei Mingjiang said, “I’m informing you about this matter, not seeking your opinions!”
He Yue’s face paled as she gritted her teeth. “No matter what, I will never acknowledge her as my daughter-in-law!”
The sister-in-law pouted, showing her dissatisfaction without saying anything further, her displeasure evident on her face.
Pei Cheng, who had also been called in, was even more incredulous. The last time, he had been so enraged he refused to eat for a whole day. It took Pei Mingjiang personally calling, soothing, and even apologizing before he calmed down. Now, he was being told that Fu Qingli would be engaged to Pei Xiyue; wasn’t that slapping him in the face again?
Pei Rong patted his wife’s shoulder and said softly, “This matter was discussed between me and Dad, and A-Yue has agreed, so there’s no need to say more.”
He Yue looked at her son in shock but saw him with a serious expression and a slight flush on his cheeks, not opposing the decision. Her heart sank heavily, feeling a chill run through her. She coldly laughed, “I knew it; you three have conspired together. Why call us here?”
The others echoed, “Yes, why call us here?”
Pei Qi shouted even louder, “Exactly! Dad, I won’t interfere with your decision to adopt her, but if you want her to be my nephew’s wife, I won’t agree! She even dared to hit me; this grudge won’t be settled!”
Pei Mingjiang smiled gently and said, “I called you all here to resolve the misunderstandings between you and Ah Li. This child has been with our Pei family for so many years, but…” He sighed, his face full of regret. “I haven’t taken good care of her, and you all have wronged her as well. We made mistakes, and we owe her an apology.”
Initially, everyone looked at him, silently criticizing his hypocrisy; after all, they were family and knew each other well. But when they heard the last sentence, they were truly angry. “Apologize?”
“Impossible! What have I done? Didn’t I just want to help you teach her a lesson?”
“Yeah, we’ve hardly seen her in all these years. How could we have treated her poorly?”
Pei Rong laughed to ease the tension. “Aunt, Uncle… it’s just formalities. We’re family; we can overcome anything. If we’ve made mistakes, we admit it; if not, we can all eat and drink together as usual.”
Pei Qi fell silent this time, realizing her father was mainly addressing her.
Given how tense their relationship had become, was she the one who had to apologize?
Her hands felt cold, and her teeth were chattering. She truly felt neglected after marriage; for the sake of a granddaughter-in-law, she was being forced to apologize to her daughter!
Suddenly, her hand was grabbed, and Pei Qi looked down to see Wen Shi staring at her with red eyes.
“Mom, I don’t want to apologize to her. I don’t want to…” Wen Shi said softly, her voice trembling with tears.
Pei Qi’s eyes turned red too. “Don’t worry; Mom won’t let you apologize to her!”
She held her daughter’s hand and turned to drag her husband away, but just then, her husband, who had hinted at contradicting her, shook his head. “We’re not leaving. Since Dad said we need to apologize, we should apologize.”
“Husband!” Pei Qi exclaimed, nearly stomping her foot in anger. She had been proud her whole life, and now she was supposed to apologize to a younger person who had bullied her. It was an utter humiliation!
Li Yujie narrowed his eyes and shot her a warning glance.
Pei Qi immediately fell silent, looking at him with grievance.
Li Yujie smiled gently and said in a low voice, “I know you’re upset, but Dad has already made his decision. We can only obey. If you provoke Dad’s anger, you won’t be the Pei family’s eldest young lady anymore. What use would you have then?”
His words didn’t attract anyone else’s attention amid the rebuttals, except for Wen Shi, who listened closely to her father’s every word and action.
Li Yujie had thought this through; initially, he had hoped that his family could win over the Pei family’s eldest grandson, which would be a great benefit. However, Pei Mingjiang was informing them, not discussing it. He understood that this matter could not be changed, so he aimed to maximize the benefits instead.
His husband’s words made Pei Qi feel uneasy. No matter how reluctant she was, she swallowed her grievances and nodded, not leaving.
Li Yujie then looked at their daughter.
Wen Shi immediately lowered her head and obediently said, “Dad, I understand.”
Li Yujie smiled with satisfaction. “Good~ Daddy likes you the most!”
With that agreement reached, Pei Mingjiang had already quelled the opposition from his younger brother’s family. Although they had somewhat offended Fu Qingli, given the current situation, they still relied on the Pei family and had to compromise.
The only person firmly against the engagement was He Yue. As someone who had spent a long time with Fu Qingli, she didn’t resort to violence or insults, but as Pei Xiyue’s mother, a disdainful glance or a pointed remark was enough to make Fu Qingli anxious for the whole day.
He Yue looked down on her daughter-in-law and found her particularly displeasing. Even now, she was unwilling to agree. Since everyone else had accepted it, her refusal stood out, and the expressions in the study turned strange, some showing sympathy while others reveled in schadenfreude.
He Yue’s face turned pale with anger. When she saw her husband looking at her, she spoke up, “What’s this? Are we going to gang up on her?”
“Of course not,” Pei Rong replied with a smile, shaking his head. “You’re her mother-in-law; as long as you don’t make it too difficult, it’ll be fine.”
He Yue’s expression improved a bit when she realized the situation was beyond saving. She maintained her stern face and said, “I won’t speak, at most.”
“That’s enough,” Pei Rong felt it was sufficient and looked at Pei Mingjiang.
The reason for calling everyone to the Pei family today was to address the grievances Fu Qingli had mentioned that day. Since her complaints stemmed from the years of mistreatment she suffered in the Pei family, apologizing to her was a means for them to vent their frustrations.
Pei Mingjiang nodded and took out his phone to call Qingli, inviting her to dinner at their house tomorrow, Saturday, so she could meet the Pei family relatives and clear up any misunderstandings.
To show the Pei family’s welcome, Pei Mingjiang put the phone on speaker.
When the call connected and after exchanging a few words, he let everyone greet Qingli.
Qingli cheerfully accepted, and her voice, laced with laughter, came through the phone, putting Pei Mingjiang at ease as he smiled and said, “Then it’s settled; I’ll have Old Li come pick you up tomorrow.”
However, Qingli refused, “Sorry, Grandpa Pei, but I’m very busy and don’t have time. If you want to apologize, let them do it over video. Don’t worry; I’ll be seated comfortably to receive their apologies.”
Pei Mingjiang: “???”
He Yue was both amused and furious: “She dares to think like that!”
Qingli heard her and replied playfully, “Aunt, of course, I dare to think like that; after all, Grandpa Pei will back me up. Speaking of which, after Grandpa Pei leaves, I’ll send over an account book I wrote. You can let them see it. If they bow to me a few times, I might reluctantly forgive you all.”
Just as Pei Qi, who had been calmed down, exploded again: “Bow?! Fu Qingli! I think you’ve lost your mind!”
Qingli’s voice turned cold. “Fine, no bowing; just kneel and knock your heads a few times!”
The Pei family: “???”
This time, everyone was genuinely rolling their eyes in anger, glaring fiercely at Pei Qi and shouting, “Why do you have to say so much? Now we’ve offended her again!”
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152