Chapter 329: Gossip about the Nie Family
Chapter 329: Gossip about the Nie Family
During lunch, Wang Yadan shared with Lu Jiahxin about the Nie family: "The eldest grandmother married into the family, but the eldest grandfather once angered the chairman, and as a result, he was sent to South America to expand the business."
"Expanding business in South America? It seems like this son-in-law has done something wrong. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been exiled to South America." Lu Jiahxin commented.
Lu Jiahxin asked, "Is it that the eldest grandmother of the Nie family looks down on girls from ordinary backgrounds and wants her children and Nie Zhan's spouses to be from equally prestigious families?"
Wang Yadan gave a thumbs up and praised her insight. "Yes, the eldest grandmother is quite... unique. She believes that pursuing a career is a man's job, while a woman's role is to support her husband and take care of the family. I've heard that she's well-educated, but her thoughts are stuck in the past, from several hundred years ago."
This was a relatively subtle description compared to how she gossiped about Nie Manli with her friends, outright calling her an old-fashioned relic. What's this notion that a woman's place is only in the home? Without financial independence, a woman has no say, and luxury clothes, shoes, and bags would be out of reach.
Lu Jiahxin was curious about why Mr. Nie only had two daughters and no sons. Some people were open-minded and believed that daughters could inherit the family business, but Mr. Nie clearly wasn't one of them, or else he wouldn't have had his eldest daughter marry into another family. It was fortunate that he was still in good health, or else, given Nie Manli's personality, the family business would have surely changed hands by now.
With this thought, Lu Jiahxin suddenly understood why his health was so poor. With two daughters, one who treated her husband as superior and lived in the past, and the other a romantic who only thought about love and did nothing productive—it was already impressive that he had held on until his grandson came of age to take over the family business. If his health had been any weaker, he would have been driven to an early grave by his two daughters, and the family business would have ended up in someone else's hands.
Lu Jiahxin asked, "Why did Nie Zhan's mother choose to settle in Australia? Do you know the reason?"
Surprisingly, Wang Yadan did know. "The boss's mother actually didn't want to go to Australia. It was the old master who didn't allow her to stay in Hong Kong City, saying that if she stayed, he wouldn't give her a single cent."
"Miss Lu, you don't have to worry," Wang Yadan continued. "The boss's mother is a very nice person; she just puts love above everything else. Since you and the boss truly love each other, not only will she not oppose your relationship, but she will also bless you both."
Lu Jiahxin had no desire to interact more with this romantic-minded woman. Their ways of thinking were too different, and they might suddenly turn hostile if something didn't align with their views. Fortunately, Nie Manlin had her soft spot—her reliance on the family for financial support. Since she lived in Australia, Lu Jiahxin wouldn't have to interact with her much anyway.
Seeing Lu Jiahxin's interest in the Nie family, Wang Yadan held nothing back. What she was sharing wasn't exactly a secret, and anyone with enough curiosity could find out, so she wasn't worried about Nie Zhan finding out.
"The eldest grandmother of the Nie family is also from a wealthy background," Wang Yadan said. "She's gentle and kind. After getting pregnant, she resigned from her job to focus on her family, so the relationship between her and her mother-in-law was quite harmonious. The second grandmother, on the other hand, came from a poor family. Before she became famous, they lived in Kowloon City, so the eldest grandmother really looked down on her and strongly opposed the marriage."
Lu Jiahxin honed in on the key point. "Eldest grandmother?"
Wang Yadan stifled a laugh. "Yes, that's what she wants the servants to call her. She doesn't like being called 'Mrs. Nie.' At least she didn't insist on being called 'Madam Yang.' That would have been worse."
Lu Jiahxin didn't comment on this but instead asked about the eccentric second grandmother. "You mentioned her career earlier. Did the second grandmother of the Nie family used to act?"
Wang Yadan nodded. "She started with commercials—television and magazine ads. Because of her beauty, she was signed by a talent agency and recommended for acting roles. However, she only acted in one drama before she started dating the second young master of the Nie family."
It seemed that being beautiful was indeed an advantage. Just look at the second grandmother; she had risen above her class and changed her destiny.
Hearing the admiration in her tone, Lu Jiahxin remained silent for a moment before asking, "But didn't you say that Mrs. Nie opposed the relationship? How did she eventually marry into the family?"
"The second young master registered his marriage with her abroad without Mrs. Nie's knowledge," Wang Yadan explained. "And then she got pregnant, so Mrs. Nie had no choice but to agree. However, their wedding was very low-key, with only some close friends and relatives in attendance. It was nothing like the grand affair of the first young master's wedding, which was attended by political and business elites."
Lu Jiahxin listened with great interest. This was the kind of gossip you used to read in the newspapers in her past life. "With such differential treatment, the relationship between the first and second grandmothers of the Nie family must be terrible."
The more they gossiped, the more excited Wang Yadan became. "Terrible doesn't even begin to describe it! The second grandmother has mocked the first grandmother more than once. They're like fire and ice. But the more she acts this way, the less the Nie family wants to do with her. The recent incident at the hotel was caused by her family, and I heard that Mrs. Nie wants the second young master to divorce her. The chairman agrees with this decision."
Lu Jiahxin never brought up family matters during her dates with Nie Zhan, and since he never brought them up either, she didn't know much about the dynamics within the Nie family.
Wang Yadan then brought up Nie Jingting, the fourth young master of the Nie family, who was quite the eccentric. "He loves acting, so the chairman gave him control of the magazine and entertainment company. But the three dramas he produced all flopped. The most successful one only broke even, recouping 250,000 in production costs. If he continues like this, the company will go bankrupt."
However, even if the company did go bankrupt, with the chairman and the first young master supporting him, he would still live a carefree life. Unlike herself, who struggled every month to pay the mortgage and car loan, and had to plan carefully before buying a luxury bag or clothes.
Lu Jiahxin had never met Nie Jingting but imagined he must be the most interesting among the Nie siblings.
Wang Yadan glanced at Lu Jiahxin and hesitated before saying, "Miss Lu, I want to give you a heads-up. Given Mrs. Nie's personality, there's a good chance she'll come to you, so you should be prepared for that."
Lu Jiahxin blinked her large eyes in surprise. "What for? To make me break up with Nie Zhan? She's just his aunt, not even his mother. What right does she have to interfere in our relationship?"
"Mrs. Nie is just... so unique," Wang Yadan said, though what she really wanted to say was 'eccentric,' but she held back since she was, after all, talking about the boss's aunt.
Lu Jiahxin laughed lightly. "Whether she comes to me or not depends on whether I have the time. It's strange enough that she wants to meddle in her nephew's affairs when she can't even manage her own son."
Hearing Lu Jiahxin's confident words, Wang Yadan felt a twinge of envy. The last time Mrs. Nie had seen Lu Jiahxin, she had looked down on her, commenting that her clothing was too revealing and inappropriate. Though Wang Yadan had been angry, she had lowered her head and apologized. After all, the job paid well, the boss was easy on the eyes, and she didn't want to lose this opportunity.
After lunch, the two women went shopping and then enjoyed an afternoon tea. To express her gratitude for Wang Yadan's company, Lu Jiahxin gifted her a donkey bag and let her choose the style she liked.
Wang Yadan selected a bag she had long admired but dared not buy. She handled it with care, afraid that Lu Jiahxin might change her mind, but when she saw Lu Jiahxin readily swipe her card, she could only feel envious. She wondered when she would be able to shop like Miss Lu, buying whatever she wanted without looking at the price.
(End of Chapter)
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