The world of film and television begins with the God of Medicine.

Chapter 1629: Stealing Chicken Fails
After this incident, Qiao Yicheng began to doubt his life and himself.

He hadn't expected Ye Xiaolang to be so calculating and scheming, trying to outsmart a group of knowledgeable people.

He knew that the others hadn't said anything to his face, only out of consideration for his feelings. Otherwise, the four beauties could have verbally abused Ye Xiaolang to the point of questioning his existence. Not to mention the power of Wang Yan…

But as he said, they're already married, and only for a little over a month, yet the costs have already reached this point. Although Ye Xiaolang's actions were rather excessive, it's still bearable for now.

Life is always more about compromise.

Just like when Ye Xiaolang stole Qiao Yicheng's manuscript back when nothing was going to happen, Qiao Yicheng already had feelings for it then. But ultimately, the better parts were more appealing, and he couldn't bear to give it up, so he continued on.

Everything built on mistakes is bound to be short-lived...

Ye Xiaolang understood Qiao Yicheng's compromise, but not his insistence. However, seemingly noticing Qiao Yicheng's reaction, Ye Xiaolang stopped causing trouble and even felt a little regretful.

Because things didn't go as she imagined, she thought that by expressing her demands, the Qiao family, and even Wang Yan, would show her more kindness and allow her to enjoy better conditions.

But this resulted in Qiao Yicheng's rebellion, to the point that he stopped coming home for small gatherings, let alone taking her along. Also, when she called Sanli and the others to go shopping and eat out after that, she was politely refused.

This made her realize that everything she had done had backfired. Qiao Yicheng's determination angered her.

"Qiao Yicheng, what do you mean? What does your family mean by this? It's like I'm only after your family's money. But I only found out your family was rich after you told me! What are you doing, treating me like a thief?"

In the apartment provided by the TV station, Ye Xiaolang saw Qiao Yicheng refuse the gathering once again, and finally couldn't hold back any longer and exploded. She wanted to pretend to be indifferent, but it was clear that this rejection could not be tolerated any longer.

What Ye Xiaolang said was one of the reasons why Qiao Yicheng persisted: Ye Xiaolang had not known that his family was well-off, which made him believe that Ye Xiaolang did not marry him because of any particular condition.

However, he didn't think more carefully. Even without his family's support, he was still a very good marriage prospect for a girl from out of town...

"Ye Xiaolang, let me correct you on one point: our family doesn't have any money. If it were my dad's money, he could give it to us and support us, and that would be fine. But the money belongs to Erqiang and Simei; they earned it through hard work. Just like those families that have separated, no matter how much they earn, it's theirs and has nothing to do with me. I have no reason to accept the benefits they give me without feeling guilty."

To put it another way, Erqiang and Simei didn't have any money; it was Wang Yan who had it. It was Wang Yan who led Erqiang and Simei to earn that money.

Qiao Yicheng waved his hand to interrupt Ye Xiaolang's sophistry, "Yes, Erqiang and Simei did help Wang Yan, but it's not like they're indispensable, understand? They both graduated from junior high school, they don't know anything, they have no connections, no channels. If it weren't for Wang Yan's quick thinking and many ideas, what could they have accomplished?"

We can live without Erqiang and Simei, but we can't live without Wang Yan. I've made it very clear to you before that our family changed because of Wang Yan. We've been together for so many years, and we are indeed family, but you know that a married daughter is like water spilled from a cup—once she's gone, she's gone. We can't take Wang Yan's kindness for granted.

"So, do you think someone like Wang Yan, who dared to break someone's bones when he was just a teenager, would have a good temper?"

Ye Xiaolang retorted, "I only said a few words, what did I do? What does it have to do with whether he has a good temper or not? At least he calls you 'Big Brother' and me 'Sister-in-law'! Could he really beat me to a pulp? Qiao Yicheng, let me tell you, I, Ye Xiaolang, have a clear conscience. You don't need to use Wang Yan to scare me!"
I feel like life with you is meaningless and boring right now. You treat me like a thief, and all I did was say a few words to you, hoping that you and your siblings could get along better and more comfortably, without so much pressure. In the end, I'm doing all this for nothing, pleasing neither side. What am I getting out of this?"

In the original drama, Ye Xiaolang never invited Lao Qiao to eat, never mentioned going out shopping or playing with anyone, and never thought about making the relationship between his brothers and sisters more harmonious.

"Nobody was on guard against you. It's just that you made a scene last time, and everyone felt uncomfortable eating together, and it was awkward sitting there. You even went to Sanli and the others, but they all politely refused you. When you sat down together, they would only politely respond when you spoke, or even not respond at all, and no one would take the initiative to talk to you. You were just sitting there by yourself, so what was the point of going?"

"That's because you wouldn't let them come out with me! I refuse to believe they can ignore their sister-in-law like that!"

Ye Xiaolang's words make a lot of sense. In adult interpersonal relationships, no one usually speaks bluntly and leaves no room for negotiation. Even if they dislike each other, they can still manage to get along when they are together.

It seems that even if disharmonious relatives gossip behind each other's backs, they always chat warmly when they meet, only to gossip about each other again after the meeting ends.

So even though the Qiao family didn't like Ye Xiaolang, they would still treat him politely when they actually sat down together.

But clearly, people can sense whether someone is sincere or not, unless they're truly foolish. Ye Xiaolang is clever in a superficial way, lacks cunning, and is impatient, but she's not mentally unstable. She's just making excuses and stirring up trouble.

Qiao Yicheng looked at her with exhaustion in his eyes: "Xiao Lang, stop fooling around."

"Making a scene? You think I'm making a scene? Qiao Yicheng, I'll say it again, I'm doing this for your own good!"

"Stop talking, okay? Xiao Lang, we both have jobs and earn a good amount of money. We can live a very good life. We have no worries about food or clothing. This is so much better than before. It's a life I never dreamed of. Let's just settle down and live a peaceful life, okay?"

"I'm not at ease? I'm not at peace? Qiao Yicheng, I just don't understand what you're being so stubborn about."

"I'm stubborn?"

Qiao Yicheng's face scrunched up as he rubbed his face vigorously with both hands. He then said, "Your parents and your younger brother are here, did you know?"

"What? I don't know! What are they doing here?" Ye Xiaolang's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape.

Seeing this, Qiao Yicheng was certain that Ye Xiaolang truly didn't know. He let out a sigh of relief, took an IOU from his bag, and slammed it on the table.

“When we got married, your dad gave me this IOU, saying that your brother’s wedding would cost money. I gave him two thousand. Now he says that your brother has no future at home, that farming is not promising, that he can’t find a good job, and that his education is not good enough. He wants me, as his brother-in-law, to arrange a job for him that pays well and can manage people, saying that it’s safe to use our own people in our family business.”

Ye Xiaolang was stunned, staring at the expressionless Qiao Yicheng, his lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

Her relationship with her family was certainly strained; it was a place she wanted to escape. She never expected that now that they knew she had married well, they would come crawling back to her. Even more unexpected was that her father would directly use her IOU to demand payment from Qiao Yicheng, and even after she had already paid him, he still wouldn't be satisfied and would come looking for her again.

There was nothing wrong with it in the first place; greedy and wicked parents are understandable, but what is she doing now?

She was making ample emotional justifications for her previous recklessness, and arguing was the most important part of that. What couple doesn't argue?

But just as she was using this opportunity to gradually back down and ease tensions, her parents and brother caused trouble, pushing her back down. She realized why Qiao Yicheng's behavior today was different from their previous arguments—that was the root of the problem…

"They're dreaming!"

Ye Xiaolang looked at the slightly yellowed paper and saw his own childish handwriting.

"You're something else, Yicheng. Why didn't you tell me when they asked you for money? I know you love me and take care of me, but you can't just give me money so easily. Look at what's written here, is this how parents act?"
Now that they see I've married well, they still have the nerve to come crawling back for money and take advantage of me. They even want to get my good-for-nothing brother a job here, promising him high pay and a leadership position? Pah! What a pipe dream! Yicheng, where are they? I'm going to find them right now and get things sorted out.”

She knew that Qiao Yicheng valued family, so naturally, he would also do his best to ensure the well-being of her family, even if her parents brought her younger brother to take advantage of her...

Sure enough, Qiao Yicheng waved his hand: "Wouldn't you just be arguing with them if you went like that?"

"Do you think people like them can reason with each other?"

"You have to explain it to them, even if you can't understand it. They are your parents after all. Calm down first and think about how to persuade them to go back."

So, as if they hadn't argued at all, the two of them pondered how to send her away. But after only a few words, Ye Xiaolang shifted the topic to her past hardships at home, the difficulties of studying, and the struggles of being alone away from home.

Qiao Yicheng listened to this...

Things rarely go as planned. Ye Xiaolang thought he could send his parents and younger brother away without much effort, but the result was a further escalation of the conflict.

In the original drama, Qiao Yicheng was just a normal wage earner. Although his income was higher than that of a farming family in the countryside, he wasn't wealthy. Even so, he was still given a hard time by Ye Xiaolang's parents, let alone the Qiao family, who can now be considered wealthy.

Consequently, their appetites naturally grew...

"You didn't see it, did you? Ye Xiaolang's parents and younger brother were crying and making a scene downstairs at our workplace, saying that Qiao Yicheng was irresponsible, didn't take care of his family, and looked down on rural people. They really made him look bad."

Song Qingyuan chuckled smugly, "I told him he didn't know enough, but he wouldn't listen. They've only been married for less than six months, and there's already so much going on. First, he tried to flip the table at you, then he's constantly arguing with Qiao Yicheng at home. You wouldn't believe it, Yicheng goes to work in a rage. And now Ye Xiaolang's parents have caused this mess, tsk tsk..."

Qi Weimin looked at him with disdain: "Aren't you Yicheng's good brother? Why are you so gloating?"

“Back then, none of the three of us were very optimistic about Ye Xiaolang, but Yicheng insisted on it. Who can we blame? He brought this trouble upon himself. Wang Yan, I'm telling you, you guys need to be careful. Look at how shameless Ye Xiaolang's parents are. They might come to your house and cause trouble, or even go to the Juewei headquarters to make a scene.”

Wang Yan was crunching on peanuts one by one, the aroma filling his mouth, which, combined with the burning sensation in his throat from the drink he had just swallowed, created a unique flavor.

"What can you do if you make a scene? You've already said they're shameless, what else can you do?"

Qi Weimin laughed and said, "Hey, you're being modest."

Song Qingyuan also expressed considerable affirmation: "That's right, Wang Yan, dealing with scoundrels is a piece of cake for you, isn't it?"

"I've gained some experience. The only way to deal with scoundrels is to be even more scoundrel than them. But then again, in the end, it all depends on Brother Yicheng's attitude."

Wang Yan ate heartily. This was a new Shandong cuisine restaurant that Song Qingyuan had found, and the food was excellent. For him, Qiao Yicheng's affair was just something to talk about with his drinks.

Wang, who has lived for over a thousand years, has most often engaged in altering the conditions of characters in a play to influence their choices. And these unknown choices are precisely what he enjoys seeing.

It seems that at this point, marriage is inevitable for Qiao Yicheng and Ye Xiaolang, but divorce is clearly out of the question. What's hindering Qiao Yicheng and Ye Xiaolang is their differing material conditions and differing ideologies.

In the original drama, material conditions were addressed before ideological differences even arose. Now, with material needs met, the major clash of ideologies has occurred…

However, all things considered, Ye Xiaolang was given the opportunity, but she really couldn't seize it...

Qi Weimin sighed, "Tell me, there's only one month left until the New Year, and they're causing so much trouble at this time. They're too impatient; they can't even wait for the New Year."

"No one complains about having a good life for too long. Ye Xiaolang's parents are back in their hometown, and they can't sit still when they think about Ye Xiaolang enjoying himself here all day long. 'People die for money, birds die for food,' that old saying is so true. I think their days are numbered."

Song Qingyuan shook his leg, exasperated. "We should all keep an eye out and introduce him to Yicheng. Sigh, I should have dragged him out with me. Who would have thought he'd be so easily smitten with any woman he saw? Look at this mess."

Qi Weimin clicked his tongue: "It's not good to be like you. You've seen too many women and become blind. You'd be like you, not thinking about marriage and only thinking about indulging in pleasure all day long."

"That's because you haven't found the fun in it." Song Qingyuan raised an eyebrow with a lewd grin.

"Stop talking! You're always using such vulgar language. You're corrupting us both."

"That's right, I'm absolutely loyal to Sanli and have a special affection for her."

Before Song Qingyuan could express his misunderstanding with a laugh, the mobile phone on the table rang.

After Wang Yan answered the call, he heard Sanli's voice.

"Wang Yan, your older brother wants to divorce Ye Xiaolang. You should go home and see him."

　I want to express my sincere gratitude to all the kind readers who have given me generous support through tips, monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and those who have been reading quietly!

　　(End of this chapter)