Chapter 29: Relocation
Chapter 29: Relocation
After breakfast, Lu Jiaxin and Xue Mao headed to the department store compound. As they entered, they coincidentally ran into the gossipy Madame Xue.
Madame Xue approached them and asked, "Jiaxin, I heard your mother bought you a large mansion with over twenty rooms. Is that true?"
Lu Jiaxin didn't shy away from the question. "There aren't as many rooms as you've heard; it's only eight. And it wasn't my mother who bought it. It was gifted to me by my nephew's uncle as a token of gratitude for my mother saving his nephew's life."
Considering Lu Jiaxin's mother's purchases of jade and the substantial sum of money she had left behind, the numbers didn't quite add up. Thus, Lu Jiaxin felt it was safer to attribute the house to the Xies, as the Su family, judging from Su Heming, was likely wealthy, and a house of that stature would be well within their means.
Finishing her explanation, she lowered her head, her voice thick with emotion. "If I could have one wish, I'd give up that mansion in a heartbeat to have my mother back, healthy and alive."
Seeing her like this, Madame Xue felt a pang of sympathy for this motherless child. "Of course. If your mother were still alive, those fox-spirit mother and daughter wouldn't have dared to drive you out. But with you leaving, they've gotten what they wanted."
Lu Jiaxin's eyes welled up. "Auntie, money is useless if you don't have the life to enjoy it. If I had stayed any longer, I might not have survived."
"Don't worry," Madame Xue assured her. "That fox-spirit will get her comeuppance, struck down by lightning or some other divine punishment. And as for Zhao SiYi, that little minx won't get off scot-free either."
Lu Jiaxin wiped away non-existent tears and choked out, "Thank you, Auntie. I should head up now. You take care."
Madame Xue insisted on accompanying them upstairs. When Lu Jiaxin turned to face her, she said, "If that fox-spirit dares to bully you, I'll stand up for you."
Xue Mao kept his head bowed low to hide his expression. On their way here, his sister had been chatting and laughing with him, but as soon as they got off the car, she wiped the smile off her face and rubbed her eyes vigorously, making them red and puffy. He hadn't understood why then, but he did now.
"Thank you so much, Auntie," Lu Jiaxin said gratefully.
The day before, Lu Hongjun had brought home several pounds of shrimp, and there was chicken and pork in the fridge, so Ding Jing didn't go out to buy groceries. Instead, she stayed home to tidy up.
Hearing the knock on the door, her face twisted in annoyance. Ever since her daughter's return from the hospital, they'd had a constant stream of visitors. On the surface, they came to offer comfort and well-wishes, but most of them were there to gawk and revel in their misfortune.
As the knocking became more urgent, Ding Jing's irritation grew. Just as she was about to speak up, she realized someone was kicking the door. Without a doubt, she knew exactly who it was.
Opening the door, Ding Jing saw Lu Jiaxin and immediately launched into a tirade. "Didn't you say you wanted to sever ties with your father? Why are you back so soon after making such a bold statement the other day? Did you forget already?"
Madame Xue hadn't expected to stumble upon such a juicy piece of gossip the moment she arrived. She had never liked Ding Jing, and now she spoke with a sneer. "You can't take words spoken in the heat of an argument too seriously. Besides, you'd love nothing more than for them to cut ties, wouldn't you? That way, Manager Lu's wealth would fall right into your hands."
Ding Jing despised Madame Xue. It was this old busybody who had been spreading rumors, tarnishing her reputation even further these past few days. She let out a derisive laugh. "Madame Xue, instead of meddling in other people's business, why don't you focus on keeping your son in check? Otherwise, one of these days, you'll find yourself welcoming that widow and her two good-for-nothing grandsons into your home."
With that, she slammed the door shut.
The revelation was too much for Lu Jiaxin, and she was so shocked that it wasn't until the sound of the door reverberated that she snapped out of her daze.
Enraged, Madame Xue pounded on the door, shouting, "You wretch! How dare you slander my son? I'll rip that foul mouth of yours to shreds today!"
Seeing Madame Xue's fury, Lu Jiaxin understood why Ding Jing had shut the door.
Ding Jing gave an address and said, "If you don't believe me, you can take your daughter-in-law to this place. I'm only telling you this because we live in the same compound; otherwise, when that widow shows up with her two kids, it won't just be embarrassment, but you'll also be at risk of losing your job."
She hadn't intended to divulge this information, as she was aware that if things took a turn for the worse, the troublemaker, Madame Xue, would surely make her life miserable. However, she felt compelled to speak up now.
Madame Xue, for once, seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation and responded judiciously: "Ding Jing, if you're slandering my son, I'll be back to tear that foul mouth of yours to shreds."
With that, she scurried downstairs as if her backside were on fire.
It was the time of day when most people were either at work or school, and even those who didn't have to send their kids off would be out buying groceries, hence the unusual quiet in the residential building. This also explained why Madame Xue was the sole spectator and there wasn't a larger crowd gathering to witness the drama.
Lu Jiaxin had long been aware of Ding Jing's cunning nature; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to wrap Lu Hongjun around her finger so effectively. Knowing about Madame Xue's son's little scandal wasn't exactly earth-shattering information.
"Open the door," Lu Jiaxin demanded.
Ding Jing, having no desire to engage with her, replied, "If you have any issues, go find your father at the department store. I have nothing to say to you."
She wondered what this young lady had gone through to become so formidable. Not only had she herself failed to get the better of Lu Jiaxin on two occasions, but even Old Lu had ended up on the losing side.
Ding Jing was well aware that while Lu Hongjun doted on her, his affection for Zhao SiYi was rather lukewarm, and he held a soft spot for his only daughter, Lu Jiaxin. After the father-daughter argument the other day, Lu Hongjun had spent the entire night tossing and turning in bed, and he hadn't even glanced at Zhao SiYi these past two days. So, the notion of severing ties was likely just an empty threat, and even if Lu Jiaxin genuinely intended to go through with it, Old Lu wouldn't agree.
"I'm here to get the household registration book," Lu Jiaxin stated.
A glimmer of hope flashed across Ding Jing's face, but it quickly faded as she recalled Lu Hongjun's attitude. She opened the door, saying, "If my father doesn't agree, I won't be able to give it to you."
Lu Jiaxin wanted to move her household registration to Guangming Road and no longer be listed under the same book as Ding Jing. However, she dared not make such a significant decision without Lu Hongjun's approval, fearing that he would fly into a rage.
Lu Jiaxin scoffed, "My father listens to everything you say. Give me the book; he won't blame you for it."
Ding Jing stood firm, reiterating that without Lu Hongjun's consent, she wouldn't hand over the registration book.
Lu Jiaxin stepped inside and called Lu Hongjun. As soon as he picked up, she said, "I want to transfer my household registration to Guangming Road. Tell her to give me the book."
Lu Hongjun paused before replying, "Pass the phone to your aunt Ding."
Lu Jiaxin had expected a more challenging conversation, but to her surprise, he agreed without much fuss. Regardless of his reasons, this turn of events was certainly in her favor.
She handed the phone to Ding Jing, her expression unreadable. "He wants to talk to you."
Lu Hongjun realized that she hadn't even addressed him as 'Dad,' and his heart sank. Recalling his nephew's words, he felt a surge of panic as he grasped that his daughter's threat to sever ties wasn't mere anger but a genuine intention. While he didn't expect Lu Jiaxin to support him in his old age, she was still his flesh and blood, and he couldn't bear the thought of truly cutting ties.
Seeing that he wanted her to hand over the registration book, Ding Jing was delighted, but she maintained a hesitant expression as she asked, "Are you sure you want me to let her transfer her registration? Won't it reflect poorly on you?"
Lu Hongjun, exasperated, snapped, "Enough with the chatter. Just give her the book already."
At the moment, everyone at the department store was talking about how he favored Ding Jing and Zhao SiYi, neglecting his biological daughter. He intended to hold on to his position until retirement, and he certainly didn't want to jeopardize that now.
(End of Chapter)
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