Chapter 25: Confidence
Chapter 25: Confidence
Lu Zhenzhen and a few others reluctantly bid Lu Zhang farewell, making plans with Lu Jiaxin to visit her again next week. Their intention to hear more stories was genuine, despite their feigned concern.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and agreed.
Xue Mao quietly asked, "Sister, do you really want to cut ties with him?"
While Xue Mao found Ding Jing and her daughter despicable, she didn't think the situation warranted severing ties with Lu Hongjun. After all, Lu Hongjun had recently given Lu Jiaxin a substantial sum of money, and they were currently relying on him for their daily necessities.
Lu Jiaxin noticed the broom lying on the floor and picked it up before responding slowly, "I truly want to cut ties with him, but it's impossible."
Even decades later, it would be difficult to completely sever ties with your original family. Your parents could take legal action, forcing you to support them, even if they had mistreated or neglected you in the past.
Xue Mao tried to persuade her, "Sister, it's true that Uncle Lu favors that woman, but he has been good to you. If you cut ties, you'll be the one at a disadvantage, and that mother-daughter pair will be delighted."
Lu Jiaxin scoffed, "If that woman continues to show up and irritate me like she did today, I'd rather do without that money."
Starting a business required capital, and she had initially planned to get it from Lu Hongjun. However, if the cost was her silence and submission, she would rather take more time to slowly accumulate the funds herself.
Xue Mao thought of Ding Jing's pretentious behavior and realized that this woman was a skilled actress, making it difficult for Lu Jiaxin to counter her.
Lu Jiaxin snorted, "The problem isn't with that woman, it's with Lu Hongjun. He wants to have his cake and eat it too—to enjoy his pleasures and still have a loving, obedient daughter. But there are no such cheap deals in this world. Forget him, let's not let him affect our mood."
Noticing her sister's mood, Xue Mao quickly changed the subject and brought up their plans to set up a stall, "Uncle Lu probably won't send us anything anymore, and he might not give us money either. I'll go out and start selling tomorrow!"
Lu Jiaxin disagreed, "The authorities are currently cracking down on street vendors. We'll wait until things settle down and the security situation improves before setting up our stall."
"Don't worry, I haven't touched the 2,000 yuan that Lu Hongjun gave us, so we can manage for a few more days. Xue Mao, you still need to practice more to perfect your jianbing guozi."
Back in the ancient capital, they had sold cold noodles, rice noodles, and cold drinks, which were unique and thus did well. However, with the changing seasons, Xue Mao planned to switch to selling jianbing guozi, wontons, and steamed buns.
The fillings for the wontons and buns could be prepared in advance and then wrapped by hired help, but jianbing guozi tasted best when made fresh, so it couldn't be outsourced. Due to her frail health, even if she wanted to help, her brothers would stop her, so this task fell solely to Xue Mao.
Xue Mao was also unfamiliar with their new surroundings, and while she wanted to start earning money as soon as possible, she had no choice but to wait since Lu Jiaxin didn't agree.
Upon returning home, Wang Xiaojie and Lu Jiaguang felt uneasy. Wang Xiaojie said, "Not only did Xin Xin tell her uncle to get out, but she also mentioned cutting off their father-daughter relationship. After her uncle left, she acted as if nothing had happened and was all smiles with us. Jiaguang, I feel a bit unsettled."
If she had argued with her father to the point of severing ties, she wouldn't have been in the mood to entertain guests. Because of this, she worried that Lu Jiaxin might have some psychological issues.
Lu Jiaguang remained silent for a moment before speaking, "When Aunt San was still around, Xin Xin was lively and cheerful. But ever since that woman entered the picture after Aunt San's death, she became more and more quiet, keeping everything bottled up inside. Now, she's different. She expresses her anger in the moment and doesn't have to worry about repressing her emotions and developing issues because of it."
Lu Jiaguang chimed in, "San Shu might favor that mother-daughter pair, but he's not blind to the situation. He knows that when he's old and frail, he'll still depend on Xin Xin. He won't truly cut ties with her. He's just angry now, but he'll go looking for her after he's cooled down in a few days."
Wang Xiaojie grew even angrier as she listened, "After those two nearly killed Xin Xin, he's not only refusing to protect her but also expecting her to take care of him in his old age? How dare he show his face?"
Lu Jiaguang understood the dynamics clearly and said, "Xin Xin used to respect and care for him. But he doesn't realize that after all she's been through, her personality has become stronger, and her heart has hardened."
In simpler terms, Lu Hongjun thought he could control his daughter, but life had other plans. Unbeknownst to him, Xin Xin had grown cold and distant towards her father.
As the saying goes, it's often easier for a bystander to see the situation clearly, and while Lu Jiaguang could, San Shu remained oblivious. Thus, Lu Jiaguang felt it necessary to give him a nudge.
"Today, Xin Xin declared in front of everyone that she wanted to cut ties with him, causing him to lose face," Lu Jiaguang explained. "Given his temperament, he'll definitely give her the cold shoulder for a while. During this period, I'll visit her when I can and provide her with anything she needs."
Wang Xiaojie understood the implication of his words and smiled, "If there's anything you want to get for her, just go ahead and buy it. You don't need to specifically tell me about it."
Back when her husband had transferred jobs, the policy dictated that he should have returned to their old home in the ancient capital. At the time, Lu Hongjun was being targeted by someone and didn't dare to seek help. As they resigned themselves to their fate and prepared to move back, Lu's mother begged an old friend to help get her husband a position in the Railway Administration. A year later, Wang Xiaojie joined him, first working at a community health clinic before being transferred to the district hospital, where she eventually became a head nurse. Thus, she felt a deep sense of gratitude towards Lu's mother.
Meanwhile, Lu Hongjun also questioned Ding Jing, "Knowing full well how much Jiaxin hates you both, why did you still insist on going?"
Ding Jing didn't admit that she was there to celebrate Lu Jiaxin's housewarming, knowing that Lu Hongjun wouldn't believe her. Instead, she said, "Siyi is still bedridden, and we don't know if she'll be able to start school smoothly in a few days. But there she was, happily hosting a housewarming party. I was so angry that I wanted to get justice for Siyi."
Lu Hongjun's face turned cold as he said, "Jiaxin's housewarming party was ruined because of you. Are you happy now? Also, are you hoping that I'll turn against my own daughter?"
Ding Jing's heart skipped a beat, and her tears began to fall like broken pearls, "How can you think that of me? I'm just angry that she hurt Siyi so badly. I never expected her to say such things."
"Lu Hongjun, now that she relies on you for support, she dares to speak to you like that. Just wait until she's more independent; she definitely won't care about you then."
Seeing her cry so sadly, Lu Hongjun softened and added, "Jiaxin hit Siyi, and now you've ruined her housewarming party. Let's call it even, and we won't bring this up again."
Ding Jing's heart twisted in anguish. Her daughter had suffered so much, and now it was all being brushed aside. But she knew Lu Hongjun well enough to understand that pressing the issue would only make him impatient, so she could only temporarily swallow her anger.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
