Chapter 132: Not Being a Pushover (2)
Chapter 132: Not Being a Pushover (2)
Before dinner, Lu Jiajin approached Lu Jiaxin and said, "Xin Xin, I want to talk to you."
"Come with me," Lu Jiaxin replied.
Once they were in the study, Lu Jiajin apologized: "Your big brother has told me everything. Xin Xin, I'm sorry. I never thought she would blab about it, especially after I specifically told her not to tell anyone."
This time, Lu Jiaxin didn't scold him. Instead, she asked, "Do you have any idea what kind of people your second uncle, aunt, and your wife are?"
"Big sister-in-law keeps a tight lip, so Big Brother doesn't tell her much. It's not that he doesn't trust her, but he doesn't want to involve her in matters that don't concern her or the family. If she accidentally lets something slip, it could bring unnecessary trouble, and in the worst case, it could affect the family," Lu Jiajin explained.
Lu Jiajin lowered his head, almost to the ground, and said, "Jia Xin, I'm sorry."
"What about the rest of it? Did Big Brother tell you?" Lu Jiaxin inquired.
"What do you mean?" Lu Jiajin asked, his expression giving away the fact that his brother hadn't filled him in. However, it seemed that his brother simply hadn't had the chance to do so. Lu Jiaxin, on the other hand, didn't intend to keep him in the dark. "When I came back, everything seemed calm. But after a while, a bunch of thugs started causing trouble on Guangming Road, and I even had someone tailing me when I went out."
Lu Jiajin was shocked. "Xin Xin, why didn't you tell me about something so important? This is too dangerous."
Lu Jiaxin glanced at him and said, "I didn't go out much at the time, so I wasn't aware of these things. It was you who went to find Big Brother, and he became suspicious and called the police chief in charge of our district. That's how he found out that things weren't peaceful on Guangming Road during that period. Later, when I asked Mrs. Xie about it, I learned that the Xie family had intervened, and those people with ill intentions backed off."
Lu Jiajin's face turned pale, and he asked, "Was it Fifth Sister-in-law who told the Ma family about the down payment, and then this incident attracted those street thugs?"
Lu Jiaxin shook her head. "I'm not sure. Maybe it was the Ma family who leaked the news, or maybe it was Ding Jing who caused trouble. Or perhaps some well-informed people knew that I had made money and targeted me. But your actions have definitely brought me huge hidden dangers."
Lu Jiajin slapped himself on the mouth and said, "Jia Xin, I'm really, truly sorry. I never thought it would be like this. Jia Xin, don't worry, I'll definitely watch what I say from now on and won't blab carelessly."
"If you believe me, I will also be careful with my words. This time, regarding the bonus you gave me, I didn't tell anyone except Big Brother," Lu Jiaxin assured him.
"I didn't intentionally tell Big Brother. He asked me when I was returning the money, so I told him. Jia Xin, I'll definitely change my ways. Please don't be angry anymore, okay?" Lu Jiajin pleaded.
Lu Jiaxin asked, "How much money did Fifth Sister-in-law borrow?"
"Fifteen hundred. But for the house from Yan Ji Xiang, she contributed two thousand. For the remaining five hundred, she sold the gold necklace and ring I gave her when we got married," Lu Jiajin explained.
While Ma Lili thought that Lu Jiajin wouldn't find out about these matters, the Ma family had no intention of keeping secrets. Eventually, the news reached the ears of A Le's mother.
"What do you plan to do about this debt?" Lu Jiaxin inquired.
"I'm not going to pay off their debt for them. If I do it this time, she'll keep borrowing money to support her family in the future, and my life will be miserable," Lu Jiajin stated.
It was good that he was thinking along those lines and showing some sense.
"The reason people lent her money is that they know you've made quite a fortune in Guangzhou. If you don't pay them back, those people will definitely come to our house to make a scene," Lu Jiaxin pointed out.
Lu Jiajin gave a bitter laugh. "They've already come to our house. An old lady came to collect the debt today and said that if we don't pay up, she won't leave us alone."
Instead of offering him advice, Lu Jiaxin said, "The money those people lent is also hard-earned. They lent it to Fifth Sister-in-law because they believe you can afford to pay it back."
Lu Jiajin pondered the matter throughout the night but couldn't come up with a good solution. In the end, he decided to seek advice from Ah Le, figuring that since he already knew about the situation, there was no point in being embarrassed about it. Before leaving, he instructed Qiangqiang and Xiaofeng to be well-behaved and entrusted their care to Xiao Qiu.
Ah Le, too, had never dealt with such a situation and was at a loss for ideas. He turned to his mother for help, asking, "Mom, do you have any suggestions on how to resolve this matter without paying back the money?"
Ah Le's mother shot her son a disapproving look before addressing Lu Jiajin. "This money was earned through others' blood, sweat, and tears. If you don't pay it back, they'll hound you to the ends of the earth. Even if you don't care about your wife, think about your children."
Lu Jiajin expressed his worry, which was precisely why he wanted to settle this matter.
Ah Le's mother, having experienced many things in life, quickly came up with a plan. "Those who lent the money this time assumed that your family had some urgent need. They don't know that your wife borrowed the money to support her family. You should repay the debt and make it clear to everyone that you won't tolerate your wife borrowing money again. No one will dare to lend her money after that."
Lu Jiajin considered this for a moment. "But what if someone doesn't believe it and still lends her money, thinking that what happens between a couple stays between them? If I repay this time and then have to do it again in the future for the sake of the children, won't I be at the mercy of the Ma and Yan families for the rest of my life?"
This was indeed a valid concern.
Suddenly, Ah Le spoke up. "In that case, why don't you cover all the household expenses and let your wife save up her salary to pay off the debt? After all, you're earning more now, and you don't rely on her income for daily expenses."
Lu Jiajin thought this was a good idea.
Upon hearing this, Ah Le's mother immediately added, "If your wife is going to work, someone will need to take care of the children at home. You don't want to send them to the Ma family, so why not hire someone to do the laundry, cooking, and pick the kids up?"
Lu Jiajin pointed out, "My two children are still in kindergarten, so they don't need to go home for lunch."
"They'll still need dinner, won't they? You can hire someone to pick them up after school and cook dinner. It won't cost much, and the children won't have to endure any more abuse from the Ma family," Ah Le's mother suggested.
Lu Jiajin liked this idea and prepared to ask around for someone suitable.
Ah Le's mother smiled and said, "Why bother looking elsewhere? Let my older sister help out. She loves children, works efficiently, and is a good cook."
Lu Jiajin agreed, "Alright, when is Aunt Ah Le available to come over?"
"She'll come after the Lantern Festival," Ah Le's mother replied.
"Sounds good," Lu Jiajin said.
(End of Chapter)
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