Quick Transmigration: Drama Queen's Daily Life Chapter 7 - 6: The Not-So-Bad Dad

Upon arriving at the Ye Family residence with his wife and child, Ye Qiu was met with a gathering of displeased faces, though they remained unfazed.

"Mom, these are the clothes I bought for you. They're perfect for my little sister's wedding. Please try them on to see if they fit," Chen Wen remarked, placing the bag of clothes beside the Old Lady, seemingly indifferent to Granny Ye's scowling expression.

"And these too. Thinking that the candies and cookies from the city are quite fashionable, we brought back twenty kilograms of each, to be given as wedding sweets and cookies for my sister's marriage," Ye Qiu added, setting down his backpack.

Liu Ping then watched, incredulous, as Ye Qiu revealed the wedding sweets and cookies from his now empty backpack.

That's it? Is that all? What about her things?

"Oh, so the elder brother and elder sister-in-law, having made a fortune, only brought a couple of garments for our mother!" Liu Ping sneered. "What, after becoming city folks, you don't recognize your own mother anymore?"

Granny Ye remained silent, evidently sharing her dissatisfaction with her eldest son's family.

"Second brother's wife, you can't just say whatever you want. The two garments your elder sister-in-law bought for mother cost us nearly five hundred yuan!" Ye Qiu stated, no longer the simpleton who would passively accept insults, prioritizing his mother and nephew above all else.

"And the sweets and cookies, I brought them back from the city especially for mother to use at my sister's wedding considering the hard work she has done. Your words are inappropriate. Or are you implying that you've bought more for mother? If that's the case, I have nothing to say." Ye Qiu looked mockingly at his younger brother Ye Xiu, as if viewing a complete failure.

"You..." Liu Ping was choked with anger. She was merely envious that her elder brother's family had not brought anything for her own household. Why were some people so fortunate? Clearly, they had journeyed to the city out of necessity, so how had they managed to prosper?

After all, she now depended on their assistance to achieve wealth in the city herself. Though she restrained herself from outright scolding, her words lacked any trace of politeness when making her demands.

"Elder brother, what have you and elder sister-in-law brought for your nephew and our family? It's fine if you didn't bring gifts; a red packet of one thousand yuan for your nephew will suffice." With that said, she furtively glanced at Ye Qiu's pockets—forgetting clothes and toys, she focused on the tangible value of cash.

Upon hearing this, Chen Wen scoffed and remained silent. Ye Qiu feigned astonishment, asking, "Second brother's wife, what exactly do you mean by that?"

"As children, it's only natural for us to buy things for mother. It's proper to bring some gifts for my sister's wedding, but... do we have to buy something for you too? If we didn't buy anything, do we have to give money instead?" Ye Qiu asked, projecting an air of complete innocence.

He then turned to Ye Xiu and said, "Second brother, chime in. Although I am your elder brother, we divided the family assets. Considering this, did you receive more than I did when we split? I didn't mind it back then, since mother, my sister, and your family were living together. But why should a portion of your sister-in-law's hard-earned money be distributed to you?"

Ye Xiu felt an overwhelming sense of embarrassment at this question. He had always been proud and valued his reputation. Despite his desire to take advantage of others, he was too ashamed to voice it directly, usually relying on his mother and wife to make such brazen requests. He would only speak up if his own interests were directly threatened.

Furthermore, he was not foolish. If he were to openly demand money today, their fraternal bond would shatter, making it impossible to receive anything from his elder brother in the future.

A familiar, naive smile graced Ye Xiu's face. "Big brother, elder sister-in-law, my wife speaks without thinking, please don't take it to heart. Of course, the money elder sister-in-law earns is for you to manage."

He avoided a direct refusal, simply stating that they had the autonomy to manage their own finances. Ye Qiu's expression remained neutral, but internally, he felt disdain, anticipating that Granny Ye was merely waiting for her turn to interject.

As expected, the Old Lady did not disappoint him, finally voicing her true sentiments.

"Why have you only just arrived? Are these two garments meant to appease beggars?" Granny Ye, a short and tenacious woman, her wrinkled face etched with sharp, critical expressions, spoke.

Deep down, she believed that since her eldest son had accumulated wealth, all of it should rightfully belong to her. She saw no reason for outsiders to benefit.

"Mother, these beggars can't afford such nice clothes, which cost four to five hundred yuan, equivalent to the monthly salary of a city worker," Ye Qiu stated, no longer willing to indulge Granny Ye's temper. "Go out and ask around; in the entire county, there isn't a daughter-in-law who would buy such expensive clothes for their mother-in-law."

Indeed, his point was valid. Four to five hundred yuan represented nearly half a year's income in the countryside; who would be willing to spend such a sum? But they were making money now, weren't they? Of course, Granny Ye wasn't content.

"So, you only bought these two garments to bring back?" She glared at Chen Wen with sharp eyes, her gaze filled with resentment. The thought crossed her mind that if it weren't for this venomous woman, her eldest son would undoubtedly still be as caring as before, giving her any money he possessed. That money, she believed, should all be for his eldest grandson.

Chen Wen had long grown accustomed to Granny Ye's dissatisfaction. She was no longer the timid daughter-in-law who lived by constantly watching Granny Ye's reactions. Regardless, she was only back for two or three days; there was no need to argue with these ignorant people.

"Mom, what you're saying is really inappropriate. What do you mean by just buying two outfits? In order for you to look good at my younger sister's wedding, Chen Wen went to several places in the provincial city to select these. Look at this fabric, these patterns – what's not good about them?" Granny Ye, of course, didn't genuinely find fault with the clothes; she was merely expressing dissatisfaction because she hadn't received any money and was deliberately nitpicking. Ye Qiu certainly wasn't going to indulge her.

"Then, when your little sister gets married, you just buy some wedding candy and wedding cakes, and that's it?" Granny Ye's face was tense, her eyes holding a murderous glint.

"There's more to it than that." As soon as Ye Qiu uttered these words, the Old Lady's expression improved slightly. However, it immediately turned uglier upon hearing what Ye Qiu intended to say next.

"Back when we split the family, we agreed that when my little sister got married, whatever my second brother's family contributed, I would contribute the same amount. I still remember that clearly."

"Big brother is making big money; how can we possibly compare? I bet my little sister will also have an opinion on this," Liu Ping blurted out, unable to hold back any longer after a considerable silence.

"I haven't made any money; it's your elder sister-in-law who has earned it. Your big brother here is merely living off a woman's support! As the elder sister-in-law, she has already purchased the wedding candy and cakes for the little sister-in-law, and even provided dowry money. What more could she possibly be dissatisfied with?"

"That won't do; you must take out that money and give it to me, at least thirty thousand," Granny Ye demanded bitterly, unable to contain herself after a prolonged stalemate and observing that the eldest son and his wife showed no inclination to offer money voluntarily.

Everyone, including Liu Ping, was stunned by Granny Ye's audacious demand. Thirty thousand yuan was not a trivial sum of one thousand or one hundred; they only earned one thousand after a year of hard labor! She truly dared to ask for such an amount, yet the thought of that thirty thousand yuan entering her pocket instantly warmed their hearts.

Ye Qiu scoffed: "Mom, you really have the nerve to ask. Even if you were to sell me, you wouldn't acquire that much money."

"Don't try to bluff me; without fifty thousand yuan, that car of yours couldn't have been purchased. Thirty thousand, not a penny less," Granny Ye insisted. In truth, Granny Ye herself wasn't entirely certain; she had only vaguely heard about the value of the small car when she was in the county.

"Mom, back when our family of three couldn't even afford food, I didn't see you offer any assistance. You're demanding thirty thousand yuan so casually. Even if I possessed it, why should I give it to you?" At this juncture, Ye Qiu dropped all pretense. With the masks removed, he felt no need to maintain politeness.

"Because I am your mother! I gave birth to you and raised you! You have to show filial piety to me!"

"It is true that you are my mother, and I am grateful that you raised me. However, when we divided the family assets, we had a clear agreement. I relinquished all my farms to my second brother to manage, without taking any of his money or grain. The contract for your support was also included in that arrangement. We signed a contract with my second brother; otherwise, we can summon the village chief to mediate."

"So, are you refusing to give it?"

"I refuse to give it, nor do I possess the funds. That vehicle was acquired through a bank loan. Demanding thirty thousand so casually, are you attempting to ruin me?"

"Then tell me, how much cash do you have on hand? Give it all to me."

Ye Qiu found the Old Lady's audacious demand almost comical. "Mother, as I stated from the outset, I will match whatever the second brother's family contributes for my younger sister's wedding, not one cent more."

"Are you then disowning me as your mother?" Granny Ye glared fiercely at Ye Qiu, her teeth grinding in agitation.

"How am I disowning you? Have I not provided your support money? I have, and furthermore, if you inquire, no one in the village has offered as much as I have. What more is it you expect from me?"

"Did Chen Wen mistreat you? When we lived together previously, didn't she manage everything? All tasks were handled with perfection for you; the entire village praised her virtues. Simply because we lack thirty thousand yuan for you today, you now disavow all that we have done?"

"Mother, what goes around comes around. I, Ye Qiu, can stand before myself with a clear conscience!"

"You... are you truly going to stand against me?" Granny Ye was rendered speechless by her rage.

"Mother, it's not that I am opposing you; rather, your blatant favoritism is the issue. I have fulfilled all my obligations. Please, consider this. I won't linger any longer today. I will arrive earlier on the day my younger sister is to be married." With those words, Ye Qiu embraced Ye Manman, took Chen Wen's hand, and departed without a backward glance.