https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-17-The-Conjoined-Lotus-Jade-Pendant/12576213/
Chapter 16: Inadequate
Chapter 16: Inadequate
Lu Hongjun asked the doctor, "What do you recommend for her to recover as soon as possible?"
The doctor suggested that traditional Chinese medicine was better for health improvement and recommended a TCM doctor in their hospital.
Lu Hongjun thanked him and took Lu Jiaxin out. In the corridor, he said in a low voice, "I heard there's an excellent old TCM doctor for health improvement. Wait for me to find someone to introduce us, and if he agrees, I'll take you there."
"Okay," Lu Jiaxin replied.
After leaving the hospital, Lu Hongjun said, "Xinxin, I was busy yesterday, but today you can take me to see the house."
Lu Jiaxin didn't refuse, but she had something to clarify. "I am your daughter. If you want to live with me, I welcome you. But Ding Jing and Zhao Siyu are my enemies. If you bring them, don't blame me for not acknowledging you as my father."
This naturally pleased Lu Hongjun. From today's probing, he knew that his father-in-law must have secretly accumulated a substantial fortune. So, for the time being, she had to act like a good daughter so that she could get more money from him, and if she encountered any difficulties in her future business endeavors, she could also ask him for help. As for the Xie family, unless it was a matter of life and death, she had no intention of visiting them.
Lu Hongjun's heart warmed at her words. His daughter was still very filial. He sighed and said, "Don't worry, they won't come knocking."
After yesterday's events, he knew that the two parties were like fire and water and that there was no possibility of reconciliation. He now hoped that they would simply leave each other alone, and as for the future, well, they would cross that bridge when they came to it.
Lu Jiaxin changed the subject. "Dad, Xue Mao can't sit still. He wants to continue his hawking business."
Lu Hongjun said, "Jobs are hard to come by these days, especially for someone like him who's uneducated, young, and from out of town. Since he can support himself by hawking, let him continue for now."
With a large number of educated youth returning to the city, there were very few job opportunities in the city. If it were for Lu Jiaxin, he would definitely go out of his way to find her a job. As for Xue Mao, he originally intended to give him some more money as a way of returning the favor. But since Lu Jiaxin had said yesterday that she would repay the favor herself, he didn't bring it up.
Lu Jiaxin brought this up intentionally, of course, with a purpose in mind. "Dad, I want to buy a tricycle. That way, it'll be more convenient to go out and hawk. Otherwise, it's exhausting to carry so many things back and forth."
Lu Hongjun stared at her intently.
Lu Jiaxin's heart was pounding. Did he discover that she was different from the original soul, and was he suspicious of her identity? However, she soon calmed down, knowing that Lu Hongjun's attention had been focused on Ding Jing after his remarriage, and he had less concern for the original soul. With the previous changes, he couldn't possibly suspect her.
Lu Hongjun felt that she was completely different from before. His daughter used to be indifferent to money, but now she seemed to be obsessed with it. However, thinking of how she had been forced to hawk food in the ancient capital and go hungry, Lu Hongjun's heart softened. "Xinxin, it's a good thing that you have your own plans. But I'm your father, so if there's something you want in the future, just ask me directly instead of beating around the bush."
Lu Jiaxin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. So, he wasn't suspicious of her identity. She lowered her head and pretended to be sad as she said, "You've been favoring that venomous mother-daughter pair all these years, and you don't care about me anymore. I'm worried that if I keep asking you for things, you'll get annoyed with me."
Hearing this, Lu Hongjun laughed and said, "You are my daughter, my only child. Whatever you want, as long as I can afford it, I will definitely buy it for you. But, Xinxin, your aunt Ding is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, and you will grow up and have your own family one day. I have to consider her feelings as well. However, rest assured, everything I have will be yours in the future."
Lu Jiaxin coldly humphed. "I'm not a three-year-old kid. Don't try to coax me with such words."
Only what she held in her hand truly belonged to her; everything else was just empty talk.
Of course, he wasn't making empty promises; he truly intended to give it all to her one day, or not—it didn't matter. As the old saying goes, relying on others is unreliable; relying on yourself is the only way to go.
Lu Hongjun said in a reproachful tone, "You little rascal, from when you were little to now that you're grown up, when have I ever gone back on my word after promising you something?"
Lu Jiaxin feigned surprise and asked, "You're not tricking me, are you? You really will leave the family property to me and not give it to that venomous mother-daughter pair?"
Lu Hongjun said, "I'll give you the lion's share, and leave a small portion for your Aunt Ding. I'm much older than her, and I'll definitely pass away before her. I need to leave her something as a guarantee."
Lu Jiaxin said with disgust, "I don't want to hear those two people's names. If you can't do it, then we might as well not meet again."
The relationship between them was beyond repair, and Lu Hongjun didn't want to anger his daughter further over this matter. "I can't agree to this request. It would feel unnatural if I kept bringing it up."
Lu Jiaxin turned her head away and stopped talking to him.
When they arrived at Guangming Road, Lu Hongjun was quite surprised as he entered the house. He had thought it was just a small house, but he hadn't expected it to be so spacious. However, he soon figured out the reason behind it.
"This house... did the Xies help you buy it?" Lu Hongjun asked.
Lu Jiaxin didn't deny it, but she was cautious about him getting any ideas about the Xies. She deliberately said, "Mom said that unless it's a matter of life and death, I'm not allowed to go looking for the Xies."
The Xie family was the biggest support her mother had left her, and Lu Jiaxin wouldn't let anyone else get involved, including Lu Hongjun.
Lu Hongjun's expression changed slightly, but he soon returned to his usual self. "This house must have been difficult to buy. We should pay them a visit to express our gratitude for their help."
Lu Jiaxin remained silent. Sometimes, silence meant refusal.
Lu Hongjun heard some news that the higher-ups were planning to let him retire next year. He didn't want to step down; he wanted to stay in this position until his retirement. If the Xies were willing to help him, this matter could be easily resolved. However, his daughter was still holding a grudge, so he needed to placate her first before bringing it up again.
Lu Hongjun stayed for less than ten minutes before leaving.
Xue Mao whispered, "Sis, is he really your dad? He doesn't seem like it to me."
"I look like my grandmother," Lu Jiaxin replied.
It was quite a coincidence. Not only did this young lady have the same name as her, but she also looked quite similar, about seven or eight parts out of ten. The remaining two or three parts were due to their different auras. Lu Jiaxin thought that this might be the reason why she was able to possess this body.
Xue Mao explained, "Sis, I'm not talking about looks. I'm talking about his attitude. His stepdaughter and that evil woman have treated you so badly, yet he doesn't pursue the matter. He even lets you move out, and now he comes to our place, stays for just a short while, and doesn't even help you with anything."
Lu Jiaxin smiled and explained, "He let me move out because he knows that the evil stepmother and I can't live under the same roof. As for not helping me with anything, Fifth Brother is already helping me fix up the house, so there's no need for him to get involved."
"There's no such thing as a father who does nothing and leaves everything to others," Xue Mao said.
Lu Jiaxin spoke up for her father, "He may not have put in any effort, but he provided the money. And just now, he promised to buy you a tricycle, so it'll be more convenient for you to set up your stall from now on."
Through these two conversations, Lu Jiaxin had figured out that the most important person to Lu Hongjun was himself, followed by his wife and children. Not only was Ding Jing gentle, attentive, and beautiful, but she was also young, and he was counting on her to take care of him in his old age. So, whenever there was a conflict between them, he would give in to his daughter. However, he would also comfort her in private so that she wouldn't resent him, allowing him to enjoy their father-daughter relationship in the future. One had to admit that he was quite calculating, and the original soul hadn't resented him even at the moment of her death.
Upon hearing this, Xue Mao didn't continue the topic.
(End of Chapter)
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