Chapter 129: A Forced Deal is No Deal
Chapter 129: A Forced Deal is No Deal
Su Hongying told Lu Jiaxin that her maternal grandmother's older sister was currently in Harbor City.
Lu Jiaxin was taken aback and never expected that the reason for this visit was such a matter. After thinking about it, she shook her head and said, "My grandmother passed away very early. My mother rarely mentions her, and on the rare occasions she does, it's only to say how unfortunate she was. She never mentioned having any siblings."
The original owner's grandmother indeed had a difficult life. Ding Fu was the son of the village chief. Originally, she had her heart set on someone else, but Ding Fu, captivated by her beauty, forcibly took her as his wife. Though he treated her well after bringing her home, his mother was sharp-tongued and vicious. On the third day after giving birth to a daughter, she was expected to cook for the entire family. As her body had not fully recovered, she fell ill from the labor. Later, she had three more pregnancies, but none of them came to term due to malnutrition and frequent miscarriages, leading to her untimely death before she even turned thirty. As for Ding Fu's subsequent wife, she was fierce and domineering, often clashing with her mother-in-law. During one of their fierce arguments, the elderly Mrs. Ding fell and hit her head, eventually meeting her demise—a fitting end to her own malicious ways.
When Ding Xiaoxia was twelve years old, her stepmother lost an argument with Ding Fu and took her anger out on the young girl, beating her severely. That day, Ding Fu scolded the stepmother, saying that if she beat someone to death, they wouldn't be able to collect the bride price anymore. He commented that their daughter had inherited her mother's good looks and would surely fetch a hefty sum in bride price in the future.
Hearing these words, Ding Xiaoxia's heart turned cold. Before her injuries could heal, she ran away. On her escape, she fainted from exhaustion and was rescued by a group of officers who were promoting new ideas in the countryside.
Fearing that they would send her back, Ding Xiaoxia pretended to be mute. When the officers couldn't get any information from her, they arranged for her to help out at an orphanage. Later, when they discovered that she could read, they patiently questioned her and learned about her ordeal. Filled with sympathy, they helped her obtain a new household registration. As she was intelligent and a quick learner, she was eventually sent to City 49 for further education, and due to her excellent performance, she was offered a position there.
Filled with hatred for the Ding family, Ding Xiaoxia only returned home after she was married. However, it wasn't to reconnect with her family but to visit Gu Lanlan's grave and introduce her to Lu Hongjun.
The Ding family, upon learning of her success, wanted her to arrange jobs for her two younger brothers and support them in their old age. However, Ding Xiaoxia never acknowledged their requests. Back then, without an introduction letter, one couldn't leave the county, and Lu Hongjun had found the team leader. The Ding family's attempts to create a ruckus in City 49 to find her were futile. As for telephone calls, how could a few ordinary citizens obtain the phone number of her work unit?
Su Hongying said, "Your great-grandmother had five siblings in total, but your great-grandfather was tricked into becoming an addict, and everyone except your grand-uncle was sold by him."
Lu Jiaxin was shocked beyond words. "Sold?"
Just a few months ago, she had dealt with a gambling addict, Sun Xun, who tried to sell his own child. She never imagined that her great-grandfather was an addict who sold his wife and children to fuel his addiction.
Su Hongying continued, "Your aunt's name is Gu Xiuxiu. She later married a wealthy man in Harbor City. She has no children of her own, and her adopted daughter, blinded by love, betrayed her. Now, her health has taken a turn for the worse."
"So she's back to look for her relatives?" Lu Jiaxin asked.
Su Hongying shook her head. "No, her health is frail at the moment. It was Su Heyuan who saw a newspaper article featuring a photo of her from her younger days and thought she looked like you. He made some inquiries and was surprised to find that you are indeed related."
Lu Jiaxin commented that it was strange for them to suddenly look for her after so many decades. Even if they wanted to reconnect with family, they should be looking for those with the Gu surname.
Noticing her indifference, Su Hongying asked, "Jiaxin, Ms. Gu has a net worth of over 100 million. With no children of her own, if you were to become close to her, all that wealth would be yours one day."
Lu Jiaxin thought that the phrase "over 100 million" was missing a "not" in it.
Cash, stocks, real estate, and jewels—it was indeed a fortune, not just for someone from the mainland but even for a resident of Hong Kong City.
Lu Jiaxin, however, was nonchalant about it. "A deal forced upon you is no deal at all. If they're not coming to me, I won't take the initiative to approach Ms. Gu, lest she suspects my intentions. Besides, I prefer to spend my own hard-earned money. I wouldn't dare touch money that isn't mine. Even if I got my hands on it, I might not live long enough to spend it."
Marrying into a wealthy family had always been a breeding ground for drama and conflict. With such a substantial sum involved, how could the men in the family stand by and watch it all fall into the hands of a wet-behind-the-ears girl? Hong Kong City was rife with gangs, and she would constantly be at risk of being thrown into the sea as food for the fish.
Su Hongying was impressed. This girl had truly transformed and become incredibly perceptive after her ordeal.
After a moment's thought, Su Hongying looked at her and said, "Your father and brother probably want you to join the civil service after graduating from university. But I think your temperament isn't suited for that path."
Lu Jiaxin was naturally intelligent; she had simply been too young and naive before. Now that even this shortcoming had been rectified, her husband also wanted her to enter the economic system after graduating from university, which was undoubtedly Lu Hongjun's plan as well.
"Become an official? My temperament isn't suited for that," Lu Jiaxin replied without hesitation. There were too many rules and restrictions in the civil service, and she didn't want to be constrained by them.
While it was necessary to hold public officials to high standards, she couldn't stand being bound by rules. She was either lazy or enjoyed the finer things in life—beautiful clothes, exquisite jewelry, and delicious food. She had never deprived herself in her previous life, and she certainly wouldn't start now.
Su Hongying nodded slightly and said, "You have the makings of a successful businesswoman. However, the current situation in our country isn't conducive to your ambitions. In Hong Kong City, you'll be able to spread your wings and soar."
Since Lu Jiaxin had already decided to go to Hong Kong City, she asked, "Aunt Su, my mother's dying wish was for me to get into university. After I go there, I still want to take the university entrance exam."
There was a purpose behind her words. If she wanted to take the exam, she would need a legal identity. If she were sneaking across the border, she'd be too busy evading the police to even think about studying.
Su Hongying said, "Jiaxin, let's first inform Ms. Gu about you. If she's willing to recognize you as her relative and take you to Hong Kong City, she'll help you with everything, from your household registration to your schooling. If your father or brother were to ask Su Heyuan to take you there, the procedures would be more complicated, and neither of them would agree to that."
This time, Lu Jiaxin didn't refuse. "Letting her know that I exist is enough. The rest will unfold naturally."
Indeed, this girl was clever. If she took the initiative to seek out her relative, it might seem suspicious, but if Ms. Gu took the first step, it would be a different story.
Su Hongying advised, "Jiaxin, the schools in Hong Kong City are different from those on the mainland. The curriculum and system are unlike what you're used to, and even if you pass the exam, you'll still need to go through an interview. If you fail the interview, no university will accept you, regardless of your exam scores."
"Where there's a will, there's a way," Lu Jiaxin said. "I won't take the exam this year but will prepare for next year instead. If I still can't get in after a year and a half of trying, it will only prove that I'm not capable enough, and I'll just focus on doing business then."
In Hong Kong City, she could both study and do business simultaneously. It wouldn't be a good idea to do the same on the mainland, as people would not praise her for being enterprising but instead criticize her for being unfocused and wasteful of the country's resources. They might even withhold her degree. The economy in Hong Kong City was booming in the 1980s as well, so it would be better to accumulate capital there first before returning to invest in her own country.
(End of Chapter)
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