novelraw Chapter 526 - 443: Don’t Treat Anyone as a Fool
Chapter 526 - 443: Don’t Treat Anyone as a Fool
Li Si turned around and looked coldly at the flailing Zhang Shan, letting out a disdainful snort: "Oh, sure! Go ahead then! My sister and I are bored anyway—free entertainment sounds good!"
Leng Ning chimed in from the side, "Exactly! Just yelling at each other isn’t fun to watch. Hurry up and start throwing punches already!"
She had long heard about the things Zhang Shan had done, and her anger had been building up inside!
Did Zhang Shan really think they were easy to bully?
"You!" Zhang Shan was so angry her chest felt like it was about to explode. She never would have imagined that Li Si had changed into someone like this.
Qiao An felt utterly mortified. He grabbed Zhang Shan and tried to pull her away, but Mo Mo, who was in her arms, sensed the tension and started wailing.
Buding, lying comfortably in the stroller, remained completely unbothered. He sucked on his tiny finger and watched the drama, entertained.
Seeing her daughter cry and Qiao An’s furious expression, Zhang Shan broke free of his grip and rushed toward Li Si: "Li Si! You’re too much! You think you’re so great just because you married a husband who spoils you? What gives you the right to act high and mighty?"
Li Si couldn’t help but laugh sarcastically. Wasn’t it Zhang Shan who had started all this nonsense in the first place? For goodness’ sake, she and Leng Ning had been about to leave when Zhang Shan riled them up. Could anyone with a shred of self-respect tolerate being talked to like that?
"Zhang Shan! Honestly, you seem like a mental case! You know, mental illness is often hereditary in families. Why don’t I go ahead and have you checked into a clinic for treatment?"
Zhang Shan’s face turned pale. The mention of her sister Zhang Yao triggered something raw—her whereabouts were still unknown; she’d blurted those words out without thinking.
Li Si might not pose much of a threat herself, but her husband was certainly no pushover!
"What? You’re scared now? Wow, you’re even weaker than I thought!" Li Si sneered as she sized Zhang Shan up, her gaze full of contempt. "Stick to what you’re capable of—don’t bite off more than you can chew."
Leng Ning glanced at Buding with amused delight and tugged at Li Si’s hand. "Sister-in-law! Our Buding is amazing! Not scared one bit!"
"Right? Come on, let’s get out of here—don’t want the kids picking up bad habits from this mess."
"Totally agree!" Leng Ning shot Zhang Shan a final taunting glare before following Li Si.
Zhang Shan started sobbing, watching Qiao An hopelessly. "Qiao An, they’re insulting me like this, and you won’t say a single word to defend me?"
Ever since Qiao An’s mother came back from Li Si’s place that day, she’d been constantly nitpicking and finding fault with Zhang Shan.
Initially, Zhang Shan had tried to endure it, hoping things would get better once Qiao An returned.
But now that Qiao An was back, he had completely changed his attitude toward her. He wasn’t taking her side at all.
Instead, he told her she needed to respect elders and not stoop to their level—because, after all, she was dealing with an older woman.
These words enraged Zhang Shan to the core!
Although Qiao An found some of Li Si’s words harsh, he couldn’t stoop to arguing with her like some petty person. He just wasn’t that type of man.
What’s more, rumors about Leng Mochen doting on his wife endlessly had been circulating lately, and as someone who valued harmony above all else, Qiao An felt it was best to just drag Zhang Shan away rather than escalate things.
"Say what? The truth’s on their side; what do you expect me to say? Let’s just go home!"
Qiao An didn’t want to argue with Zhang Shan in public, but things weren’t any better at home. His mother was now constantly nitpicking, and Zhang Shan, for her part, kept interpreting her comments in the worst possible way.
The tension in his house was unbearable. Qiao An had returned yesterday from a work trip and hoped today could be a relaxing day spent with the kids.
He never expected a full-blown war between his wife and his mother to erupt first thing in the morning. According to the nanny, Zhang Shan and his mother had been clashing nonstop lately.
At first, Zhang Shan had tried holding back, but once things escalated beyond her breaking point, she started retaliating loudly as well.
Qiao An’s mom was now in "full victim mode," sobbing and lamenting to him about everything that had happened while he was away.
Clutching the now-calm Mo Mo in her arms, Zhang Shan remained defiant. "I’m not going! If I go home, I’ll have to face your mother like that again. I’ve had enough! Look at how Li Si is living her life—then look at mine!"
"From the moment I moved into the postpartum recovery center, your mother already had it out for me. Li Si’s mother-in-law praises her everywhere she goes, but your mom? She complains about me nonstop—this isn’t right, that isn’t good."
"Sure, now that I’ve had the baby, she’s still got problems with me? Well, where was all this disapproval before?"
Qiao An felt utterly suffocated; the argument had already drawn the attention of the nearby security guards. The luxury villa community’s management was meticulous, and while this often had its perks, it also meant that any drama could quickly turn into scandalous gossip.
Unable to contain himself, he snapped: "Yes! She dislikes you! Well then, Zhang Shan, tell me—what exactly have you done that’s worth praising? Shall we start bringing up your sister Zhang Yao again, or leave that be?
"Don’t think I don’t know why you first got together with me—it was all because of my family’s wealth, wasn’t it?
"All this time, even after realizing it, I’ve held back from bringing it up—because we have kids now, and I didn’t want them to be motherless. But keep pushing things like this, and I won’t hesitate to find a replacement mom for them. The kids are still young—whoever treats them well and raises them, they’ll bond with!"
Zhang Shan stared at Qiao An in shock. Despite having had vague suspicions, she had never expected him to say such cruel and heartless words aloud.
"You! Qiao An, listen, let me explain! I..."
She wanted desperately to explain, but her thoughts were in complete chaos—she couldn’t figure out where to start.
Qiao An sighed heavily. "Zhang Shan, stop assuming everyone’s a fool you can mess with. I’ll give you one last chance: if you want to make things work, stay quiet and settle down at home. Yes, my mom’s personality isn’t great, but at least she has no malicious intentions. If you still can’t get along with her... Then leave. The Qiao Family can’t handle having someone as high-maintenance as you!"
With that, he took Mo Mo out of Zhang Shan’s arms and walked away briskly, not bothering to wait for her.
Zhang Shan stumbled behind him in a half-run, looking like an utterly defeated woman.
Li Si and Leng Ning saw the scene from afar and couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly the situation had flipped.
"Sister-in-law! Do you think she’s mentally unsound? Back at the postpartum recovery center, her mother-in-law was berating her, and I even told Mom about how pitiful she seemed! Who could’ve guessed that she’d go pleading with my brother over that suicidal woman? Now I’ve realized, pitiful people often have infuriating traits too!"
"I’d say her issues run deep! Remember my wedding day with your brother? She and her mother-in-law even showed up together. Of course, her mother-in-law probably learned some things afterward."
Li Si didn’t want to dwell on Zhang Shan anymore. If it weren’t for how cozy their new home here was, she might’ve already considered moving. Everyone says good neighbors are as important as good family members, and she couldn’t agree more.
The two lingered outside for a while longer. Then, Leng Mochen called—he mentioned having a late engagement tonight and told Li Si to go to bed early instead of waiting up for him.
After hanging up, Leng Ning looked at Li Si with a teasing grin. "Sister-in-law, you and my brother are seriously enviable! How do you maintain that sweetness?"
"Want to know how?"
"Yes! Absolutely!" Leng Ning nodded eagerly.
"Not telling you!"
"Sister-in-law! You’re so mean!"
(To be continued... If you enjoy this story, please visit Qidian.com to vote for it with recommendation or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)