Chapter 10: Annulment of the Engagement
Chapter 10: Annulment of the Engagement
Lu Jiaxin's heart sank as he listened to his uncle haggle over the settlement money. His uncle had never batted an eye when spending hundreds of yuan on gifts for Jiaxin during his aunt's lifetime, but now he was quibbling over the amount.
Lu Jiaxin had no intention of prolonging the negotiation with Lu Hongjun. She raised her voice and said, "Two thousand yuan is barely enough for anything. I want at least ten thousand for the settlement."
This amount not only shocked Lu Hongjun but also surprised Lu Jiaxin's father and Liao Xiangmei. Ten thousand yuan was indeed a bold request.
Ding Jing almost screamed, but she managed to control herself at the last moment. "Jiaxin, our family only has a total savings of two thousand yuan," she pleaded.
Lu Jiaxin scoffed and turned to Lu Hongjun. "All the furniture in this house, including the bed, wardrobe, sofa, color TV, refrigerator, and washing machine, were bought by my mother when she was alive. If you don't give me money, I will move all these things to my new home. Moreover, I will write about how Zhao Siying seduced Fan Yinuo and how you, Ding Jing, drugged my food, causing me to fail the college entrance examination. In less than half a month, you will see your names splashed across the newspapers and magazines."
Lu Hongjun's face turned green. "Lu Jiaxin, have you gone mad?"
If she were to carry out her threat, he would not only lose face in front of his entire family, but he might also be forced to retire early from his unit.
Lu Jiaxin pointed at Ding Jing and said, "Yes, I have gone mad. You all drove me to this point. In the past, I was too foolish and only knew how to hide under my blanket and cry when I was wronged. From now on, if anyone dares to make things difficult for me, I will make sure they don't have it easy either. If necessary, we can all go down together."
Initially, Lu Jiaxin's father also felt that ten thousand yuan was too much for a settlement. However, after hearing Lu Jiaxin's words, he changed his mind and thought it would be better to ask for more, so that the Ding family wouldn't benefit from their misdeeds. "Third Brother, you only have Jiaxin as your child, and your belongings will eventually be hers anyway. Although ten thousand yuan is a large sum, it's not like you can't afford it. Just agree to her request!"
If it weren't for his remaining rationality, Ding Jing would have rushed forward and scratched Lu Jiaxin's face.
Lu Jiaji also chimed in, "Yes, Uncle. Your wealth will eventually belong to Sister Jiaxin whether you give it to her now or later."
Ding Jing could no longer contain her anger. "It's easy for you to say that," she shouted. "Where are we supposed to get ten thousand yuan?"
The Lu brothers ignored her and looked at Lu Hongjun instead.
Lu Hongjun sighed and said, "I'll give you five thousand first, and the rest next year."
Lu Jiaxin wasn't going to let him drag it out for that long. "Although I don't manage the finances, I have a general idea of our family's savings. Give me six thousand now, another two thousand before the Chinese New Year, and the remaining two thousand by next year's Dragon Boat Festival."
In fact, she had Ding Jing's weakness in her grasp, but she knew that she didn't have the capability to exploit it yet. Lu Hongjun had been doing business in Sishiji for many years and must have built up a wide network of connections. She might need his help in the future, so it would be better to avoid burning bridges if possible. Of course, if he refused to give her a single cent, she wouldn't hesitate to cut ties. After all, she wasn't the original Lu Jiaxin who had feelings for Lu Hongjun. Creating a scene might even win her some sympathy. On the other hand, Lu Hongjun and Ding Jing would be the ones left with ruined reputations, and Zhao Siying might even have a hard time staying in school.
Lu Hongjun remained silent for a moment before finally agreeing. "Jing'er, go and get two thousand yuan." Then he turned to Lu Jiaxin and said, "I'll give you this two thousand yuan to buy whatever you need. The remaining eight thousand yuan will be kept as your dowry."
He did this to prevent Lu Jiaxin from squandering the money or having it taken away by someone else.
Lu Jiaxin agreed.
When Ding Jing didn't move, Lu Hongjun urged, "Jing'er, go and get the money."
With tears in her eyes, Ding Jing said, "Hongjun, I've been frugal for the past four years and only managed to save a little over two thousand yuan. Now you're giving away ten thousand yuan just like that. How are we supposed to live in the future?"
Lu Hongjun pulled her into the house, and after a while, he came out and handed a stack of one-hundred-yuan notes to Lu Jiaxin. "Use this money wisely. You can't spend money like water anymore."
Lu Jiaxin, having settled the matter of compensation, now turned her attention to another pressing issue. She directed her gaze toward Liao Xiangmei, who had largely ignored her throughout this ordeal, and said, "Aunt Liao, since Fan Yinuo and Zhao Siying have been together for over half a year now, I don't want to be the bad guy here. Since my father and eldest uncle are both present, let's just call off the engagement."
She had invited Liao Xiangmei over not only as a witness but also to seize this opportunity to put an end to the betrothal arrangement.
When Liao Xiangmei received Lu Jiaxin's call earlier, she knew that the truth could no longer be hidden and that the engagement would have to be terminated. With a heavy heart, she said, "Jiaxin, it's Auntie's fault for not teaching Yinuo properly and letting him mistreat you."
Lu Jiaxin reached into her pocket and took out a silver padlock, a token of the engagement between the two families, and handed it back to Liao Xiangmei. "Here, take back this token from when our families first arranged the engagement."
Liao Xiangmei held onto Lu Jiaxin's hand, saying, "Jiaxin, I'll visit your mother's grave tomorrow to apologize to her. Please keep the silver padlock as a gift from me. As for the jade pendant your mother gave me, I didn't bring it with me today, but I'll send it to you tomorrow."
Lu Jiaxin placed the silver padlock in Liao Xiangmei's hand and said, "Aunt Liao, this is Yinuo's childhood amulet for safety. I can't possibly keep it. If you don't take it back, I'll just throw it away."
Liao Xiangmei sighed and, taking the padlock, held onto Lu Jiaxin's hand. "Jiaxin, it's Yinuo's fault for not cherishing what he had. Don't let this affect the bond between us."
Lu Jiaxin refused outright. "Aunt Liao, since Yinuo and I were once betrothed, if we continue to interact frequently, he and Zhao Siying will think that I haven't moved on. I don't want to give them that impression."
(End of Chapter)
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