While I'm at the martial arts academy, my wife is cultivating while I enjoy life.

When Yang Ding and his group returned home, they saw Fang Dalong and Zhang Yan playing with the children in the yard.

He picked up his son, Yang Jian, and teased him, "You guys finished cooking so quickly?"

"Brother-in-law, let's go to Fang Hongbo's house for dinner tonight," Fang Dalong replied.

He rarely called his father "Dad," always addressing him by his first name. Fang Hongbo knew he was in the wrong, so he didn't argue with his two children.

Upon hearing this, Fang Jing quickly said, "Why are we going to eat there? I don't want to see those three old women from Donghai."

"The second aunt came personally to invite him, to discuss Fang Hongbo's 45th birthday banquet."

Why hold a birthday banquet at 45?

"I don't know. If you don't want to go, Zhang Yan and I will cook."

Fang Jing glanced at Yang Ding, seeking her husband's opinion.

Ye Rouxin is very forgetful, Zhou Ruoxi is a bit arrogant, and Fang Jing follows the family rules the best.

"Go ahead, I've already started working in Donghai City, and I haven't even met them yet. It wouldn't be very polite of me to do so."

"There's no need to be polite to them."

Fang Jing disliked her three stepmothers because when she and Fang Dalong were twelve years old, they could have lived with their parents.

However, the three stepmothers also had children of their own. They used their crying, tantrums, and threats of suicide to seize control of Fang Hongbo's finances and do everything they could to cause trouble.

Wu Huixian figured the children probably wouldn't have a good time here, so she decided to let them stay in Jiangling City.

"You should thank those three women from the East China Sea," Yang Ding said.

"What should I thank them for?"

"If it weren't for them, would you siblings even know me? Would you be my second wife?"

Yang Ding's words instantly made Fang Jing's mind clear.

"That makes some sense."

"What you run away from, you have to face. You've grown up and you've never even met those three before."

"Okay, I'll listen to you, but you have to promise me you won't try to smooth things over."

"Of course, aren't I trying to help your father regain his authority as a husband?"

The Yang family's villa is only a ten-minute walk from Fang Hongbo's house, but they simply don't want to have anything to do with them.

Fang Hongbo's fourth concubine, dressed in a cheongsam, holding a white-mouthed cigarette, and heavily made up, stood at the door to greet guests, with a mean-looking face.

Yang Ding couldn't understand how his father-in-law, a dignified commander-in-chief of the East China Sea Navy with the rank of major general, could have such poor taste in women.

Is it simply because he has a fondness for the traitor Cao Cao?

Seeing that everyone had come empty-handed, the fourth concubine began to speak sarcastically.

"Which of you three men is the eldest son-in-law of the Fang family?"

"That's me."

Yang Ding didn't know what to call her. Normally, he should call her "stepmother," but Fang Jing wouldn't allow him to.

The fourth concubine skillfully exhaled a smoke ring.

"Country bumpkins are not only shabby, but also impolite."

Fang Jing asked unhappily, "Who's the country bumpkin? Who's rude? Look at you, dressed like a prostitute. Is my dad short of money and you have to do part-time jobs?"

"You don't know anything! This is called a cheongsam, worn by noble ladies in the past. Do you understand now? You sharp-tongued girl, I'll have your father tear your mouth apart."

Fang Dalong snapped irritably, "Let him try tearing one up. Since you invited us here for dinner, you should at least be more polite."

The fourth concubine rolled her eyes as she entered the room, intending to complain to Fang Hongbo.

Just then, the second concubine came out, her smile forced and insincere.

"Oh, everyone's here. Come in. You don't need to change your shoes today. I'll have the servants take them off later."

"My dad can afford to support servants?" Fang Jing asked with a smile.

The second concubine immediately recognized her resemblance to Wu Huixian, and was consumed by jealousy.

In fact, Fang Jing's mother was far more beautiful and elegant than the other three wives, and also more virtuous.

The main reason was that she was seriously injured in the cataclysmic war, lost her SS-level cultivation, and her body aged rapidly.

"Of course, otherwise, how could we young mistresses be expected to clean such a big house?"

"Why can't you clean? My mother is out earning money, what are you doing at home all day?"

The second concubine turned to look at Fang Jing, her face full of displeasure.

"This is our first meeting. We're here to discuss your father's birthday party. I hope you won't cause any trouble. My patience has its limits."

The reason she was so eager to invite Yang Ding was to embarrass this eldest son-in-law of the Fang family in front of everyone, so as to highlight how generous her own son-in-law, Wang Gao, was.

Yang Ding is a renowned figure in Jiangling City, and Wang Gao must be pleased with this arrangement.

Ever since her daughter Fang Qiuyue married into the Wang family, the second concubine has been trying to replace Fang Jing's mother and become the mistress of the Fang family, the first wife.

Women in the East China Sea live their whole lives for the sake of face.

Fang Hongbo was pulled out of the study by the fourth concubine. "What are you doing, pulling and tugging at me like that?"

"Honey, can't you do something about your daughter?"

"I can't control them. I didn't control them when they were young, and I have no right to control them now that they're grown up. You're the ones who invited them here."

"Aren't you allowed to inform your children when you turn 45?"

Fang Jing was about to argue with her when Yang Ding stopped her.

"Honey, you said you wouldn't compromise your principles."

"Don't get carried away. You have to use dirty tricks to deal with this kind of woman. What's the use of just talking?"

"What kind of dirty trick?"

Fang Jing immediately perked up.

When it comes to being pent up, my husband is definitely a master.

"The timing isn't right. Today's situation is too small for your husband to handle."

"You mean at a banquet?"

Yang Ding nodded quickly.

Fang Jing felt it was a bit excessive. The entire East China Sea Navy and even important figures from the Wang family would be present. Wouldn't that make her father lose face?

But she also knew that she had to listen to her husband when doing this kind of thing, so she obediently shut her mouth and stopped her brother from talking too much.

My husband is right. Stop with the useless talk; you have to be worse than the bad guys to deal with them.

Fang Hongbo, unable to bear the pestering any longer, pleaded with the siblings, "No matter how unhappy you are with me, since we're here, can't we just have a nice meal together as a family?"

He thought he was going to get scolded by his daughter again, but Fang Jing nodded obediently.

"Alright, I'll give you that much face today."

Fang Hongbo was quite surprised. Why had his daughter become so well-behaved?

It must be thanks to my son-in-law.

The second concubine warmly welcomed everyone to sit down and immediately asked, "It's your father-in-law's birthday. As the eldest son-in-law of the Fang family, what gift is Yang Ding preparing to give?"

The experienced driver Yang Ding immediately understood what she was trying to say, so he went along with it.

"To be honest, I'm still a student. I just escaped from Jiangling City and I'm not well-off yet, but I'll ask the dean for an advance on my salary."

"Pfft, are you kidding me? Your father-in-law is a major general, what good is an advance of tens of thousands in salary?"

The second concubine then pointed at Zhou Ruoxi.

"She's the daughter of Master Zhou, incredibly wealthy. The governor of the Enforcement Bureau's income isn't lower than your father-in-law's, is it?"

Zhou Ruoxi quickly replied, "Yang Ding and I eloped, and my dad froze my bank card."

The second concubine laughed gleefully.

"I knew it. It's okay for young people to be poor. But Old Fang has a high-ranking son-in-law, the grandson of Grandmaster Wang Xuehua. His birthday gift will probably start at a million."

"The grandson of a Grandmaster is someone I, Yang Ding, cannot compare to."

Zhang Peng almost burst out laughing when he saw him putting on an act.

When Yang Ding starts to be humble, it's highly likely that the enemy is about to suffer a setback.

The second concubine stopped pretending.

"What I mean is, whether it's a birthday gift from the Wang family or a gift from the East Navy commander, it has nothing to do with you. The children of the eldest son's family have no right to share in it."

Fang Hongbo's face darkened. "I'm not dead yet, and you're already trying to claim my inheritance?"