Chapter 186: Honest Confession

“!” Qiao Zijin’s eyes went still. She did not expect that Qiao Nan had earned the money from working. Most importantly, the money was not from illegitimate sources, and Qiao Dongliang knew about it all along.

Qiao Dongliang closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He then looked at Qiao Zijin gloomily. “Was that why you’re suddenly so concerned about me today and brought me out for rehabilitation?”

“No, it’s not like that, Dad...”

“Nan Nan, go ahead and report to the police.” Before Qiao Zijin could finish her words, Qiao Dongliang said coldly.

“Dad, Nan Nan is crazy. Have you gone crazy as well? Can we report to the police for such casual matters? And... and we didn’t lose much money.” No, she must not let Qiao Nan report to the police.

“The amount of money that had been stolen is not small It should meet the minimum sum required for filing a police report. Dad, I am going to file it now.”

“Don’t... Don’t, don’t, don’t! Don’t report to the police! Nan Nan, don’t report to the police!” Qiao Zijin’s face turned pale. She opened her arms, like a mother hen, leaning on the frame of the door and blocking the exit firmly. “Nan Nan, you can’t go to the police. You really can’t. The money is not stolen. It’s Mom. Mom took it. Nan Nan, you’re still young. It’s not safe for you to keep so much money by your side. Mom is helping you keep them. We are one family. You definitely can’t report to the police!”

Qiao Zijin, who was only eighteen years old, ultimately lost her cool. Once she heard that they would be reporting to the police, she confessed without the need for Qiao Dongliang’s interrogation.

“Zijin, you must have made a mistake. In this world, there is no mother who will take her daughter’s money. There must have been a burglary in our house. It’s not your mom who took it. Nan Nan, report this to the police.” Qiao Dongliang gritted his teeth. If he did not teach Ding Jiayi a lesson this time, this woman would really become unruly and out of control.

This was unexpected. He did not discipline Ding Jiayi in front of his two daughters yesterday, nor did he take issue with her regarding the money she had borrowed from his former comrades before he was hospitalized. As such, he felt that Ding Jiayi would at least be well-behaved and restrained herself for a couple of days.

However, within a short time span of one night, Ding Jiayi was so shameless that she had to steal her daughter’s money. She even collaborated with Zijin to ‘kidnap’ him to bluff Nan Nan.

There were only four people in the family. Although he was not aware initially, he had also been made use of. Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin actually collaborated to steal Qiao Nan’s money. At these thoughts, Qiao Dongliang could feel Qiao Nan’s pain and grievances.

“You can’t report to the police, Dad. It’s true. I assure you that Nan Nan’s money was definitely taken by Mom. It’s not the burglar. There is no burglary.”

“I don’t believe it. Your mother went to work early this morning. Before Nan Nan came, you were keeping me company outside and not at home. How did you know that the money had been taken by your mom and not the burglar? Zijin, don’t fuss about this. If we report to the police early, the police can help us find Nan Nan’s money back as soon as possible.” Qiao Dongliang’s expression was cold and insisted to make a police report.

“...” Qiao Zijin cried with anxiety. She was sure that her mother, and no one else, had taken the money. But how could she make her father and Qiao Nan believe her?

“Sister, don’t block my way. If there’s any delay, the money that I wanted to return to others would be all gone. At the very least, the money that was borrowed covered Dad’s surgery and hospitalization expenses. I can’t be so thick-skinned as to keep the money I earned for myself and not return it to others. This kind of shameless thing, I can’t do it!”

It should not be her responsibility alone to return the loan!

Her mother even wanted to steal the money meant for repaying Brother Zhai. Why was her mother’s character now more unbearable and worse than her previous life?

“Nan Nan, do you want Mom to go to jail? Dad, I was really in the wrong. I-I... Mom took that sum of money. This morning, I brought you for a stroll. Then, I told Nan Nan that you had a fall and asked her to come with me to help bring you back. Once Nan Nan left the house, Mom went to Nan Nan’s bedroom. Mom didn’t go to work.” The panicky Qiao Zijin explained the whole matter.

“You pair of mother and daughter are really...” Qiao Dongliang’s heart nearly stopped. There was darkness before his eyes as he nearly fainted.

“That was Nan Nan’s hard-earned money. Both of you, being her mother and sister, spent so much effort to steal her money. Do you have to be so shameless?”

Qiao Dongliang was brimming with hate. He hated Ding Jiayi for teaching Qiao Zijin inappropriately, causing her to become like this.

The money was borrowed by Nan Nan to save his life. This sum of money should be paid back by the parents, not Nan Nan, who was just a child!

Nan Nan’s tuition fees and miscellaneous expenses were already all waived, but she was still trying to find ways to return the money. Her purpose was to lessen the burden of her parents so that they would not be so stressed.

On the surface, Nan Nan was not good to Ding Jiayi and disliked her, but among all the things that Nan Nan did, which one did not benefit their family or her parents?

In other families, parents always worry about their children for the sake of the latter’s well-being. It was exactly the opposite in their family. Why did Ding Jiayi always have to make them worry?

At this juncture, Qiao Dongliang suddenly felt that he not only owed Ding Jiayi, but also Qiao Zijin, in his previous life. Otherwise, why did he have to be tortured so badly in this life?

Nan Nan did not receive any care in this family at all. Yet, she had to look out for this family all the time.

What a sin!

“Dad, don’t... don’t be like that. You’re scaring me.” Qiao Zijin was in tears and her eyes were red. Her speech was intermittent, swallowing hard as she spoke.

She did not expect that the plan did not proceed smoothly. Her mother successfully took the money, but Qiao Nan, the trouble maker, discovered it soon after.

Her mother was right. Qiao Nan was a trouble stirrer. As long as Qiao Nan was around, there would be no peace in the family.

She did not understand. Wasn’t Qiao Nan part of this family? Why did she have to be so merciless, creating trouble every day and causing her parents to quarrel, to the extent that they could not carry on with their daily lives?!

Qiao Nan was burying her face in her hands and asked sulkily, “Dad, did Mom really give birth to me? Did you all not bring home the wrong baby?”

It was not possible for her to be picked up from the streets. Her parents wanted a second child, a son to be exact. Even if they wanted to adopt a child, they would not adopt a daughter.

Qiao Dongliang was able to feel the utter despair and the slight hope in Qiao Nan’s words. Qiao Nan was hoping that Ding Jiayi was not her biological mother. In that case, it would be easier for her to accept the situation she was facing.

If she was her biological mother, then why was there such a mother in this world?

“Nan Nan, what are you talking about? If Mom didn’t give birth to you, would Dad and Mom raise you up till this age? Your words are too heartless!” Qiao Zijin scolded Qiao Nan.

“Shut up!” Qiao Dongliang yelled at Qiao Zijin, but he could not bring himself to reply to Qiao Nan’s question.

At this moment, Ding Jiayi, who did not know what happened at home, was in a good mood since she had taken the money successfully.

When she left the Qiao residence, Ding Jiayi found a secluded place and started counting the money.