Chapter 414: Refusal
Chapter 414: Refusal
Mrs. Lu, the second wife, saw that Jiaxin didn't speak and thought she was considering donating to the children in the neighboring village. She felt like slapping herself and wondered why she had such loose lips: "Jiaxin, there are plenty of people in this world who can't afford an education despite being capable. You can't possibly support them all, can you? There are twenty-nine clans in the Lu family, and your grandfather said that it would cost at least five to six thousand a year. Your money doesn't grow on trees, and helping the children in the clan is enough. If other people's children can't get an education, then they can only blame their bad luck."
Doing good deeds isn't easy. There was a singer she liked very much who donated her entire fortune and often rushed to the front lines whenever there was a disaster. Even then, she was criticized by many online haters.
Jiaxin didn't continue the heavy topic: "How is Uncle's health? I'm worried that he's overworking himself because of me."
The second Mrs. Lu laughed: "No, no. Your aunt said that he's full of energy these days. It's also because of the sponsorship you arranged. Now, everyone in the clan asks for his opinion on matters, and he's more respected than when he was the village chief."
People stay spirited when they have something to do, and Uncle Lu was used to being in charge. Now that the clan sought his advice on every matter, it was better than any medicine.
At this point, the second Mrs. Lu shared another piece of news: "The last time I saw your eldest aunt, she mentioned that the clan wanted to renovate the ancestral hall. Now that everyone knows you have money, they'll probably ask you for a donation."
Jiaxin wasn't interested in renovating the ancestral hall: "I don't have the money."
The second Mrs. Lu nodded: "That's right, don't donate. The genealogy only records the names of male descendants. Girls don't even have their full names listed, so why bother donating to renovate it? If they want to renovate, let the male descendants of the clan collect the money themselves."
"By the way, your eldest brother wanted to talk to you about sponsoring underprivileged students. He left his phone number with me and said you'd give him a call when you returned from your studies abroad."
After jotting down the number, Jiaxin asked about Xiaoqiu. Upon hearing that she had cheered up, Jiaxin nodded and said, "Second Aunt, don't always tell Xiaoqiu that she needs to marry into a good family. She's still young and should focus on learning new things. She doesn't need to rush into marriage until she's twenty-four or twenty-five."
Many girls in the city married around the age of twenty-three or twenty-four, later than in the villages. After spending two years in the city, the second Mrs. Lu's ideas had changed as well: "That's what I've been telling her too. There's no rush to find a partner. It's more important to focus on making money first."
Jiaxin joked: "Yes, let's make money first. Once we have a house and a business, we won't even need to worry about finding a husband. We can always take in a son-in-law, and there won't be any worries about being bullied by in-laws."
The second Mrs. Lu was taken aback. With three sons, she had never thought about Xiaoqiu taking in a son-in-law. But then again, if the girl were to marry out, she might face some difficulties in her marital family. However, if they took in a son-in-law to live with them, there would be no such worries. Still, she kept these thoughts to herself.
Afterward, Jiaxin called Guang Lu. Since she was using an external phone, she had to wait ten minutes after stating who she wanted to contact before calling again.
When the call connected, Guang Lu asked about her trip and what she had learned.
Jiaxin didn't feel like lying and simply said that she had gone to broaden her horizons and gain more knowledge. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what she had learned: "Brother, was there something you needed when you asked me to call back?"
Guang Lu mentioned the clan's intention to renovate the ancestral hall. In the past, the "Smash the Four Olds" campaign aimed to eradicate feudalistic thinking, but now that policies had relaxed, many things were gradually reviving.
Jiaxin flatly refused: "The people back home always say that a married daughter is like water spilled out, unable to be retrieved. If the clan wants to renovate the ancestral hall, they should ask the male descendants, not me—a daughter who isn't even listed in the genealogy and is considered spilled water.
Lu Jiaxin asked, "Is my name really recorded in the genealogy?"
Lu Guang was a little surprised by her question. "Who told you your name wasn't in there? When you turned six, my father made sure to add your name."
The reason for the specific age of six was due to the relatively poor medical conditions back then, resulting in a higher infant mortality rate. Reaching the age of six was considered a milestone for survival.
"Are you listed as 'Lu Jiaxin' in the genealogy?"
This question stumped Lu Guang, as he hadn't seen the genealogy himself and didn't know the specifics. However, he didn't think it was a big deal. "If your name isn't there, I'll ask my father to add it later."
Once again, Lu Jiaxin refused, "No need to check. Whether my name is there or not, I won't be donating. If they want to renovate the ancestral hall, your brothers, as the male heirs, should be the ones contributing money."
Sensing her firm tone, Lu Guang asked, "What's wrong?"
Lu Jiaxin explained, "The last time I went to Rong County to relocate a grave, I donated one million yuan to repair the roads on the condition that the Ding family wouldn't interfere. But when the time came, Ding Tangping still showed up and tried to force me to give him 30,000 yuan. What's more, the local leaders and the village head played along and tried to make me pay up."
"I have money, but I'm not a pushover. This time, the clan wants me to pay for the renovation of the ancestral hall. If I give in, it won't be long before someone else comes asking for money to repair roads."
"I support those children, and even if not all of them, at least most of them will be grateful. But if I donate money for road repairs, they'll probably just think of me as an easy target and come to me again the next time they need money."
Lu Guang fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Someone from the village did approach me, asking for a donation from you to repair the roads. But I turned them down."
As expected, human nature was hard to predict.
Having learned her lesson, Lu Jiaxin said, "Big brother, from now on, I'll only support children who can't afford an education and help orphans. As for matters like road repairs, which are related to people's livelihoods, let's leave that to the government!"
Lu Guang acknowledged her decision with a hum. "Earning money isn't easy for you either. Don't donate anymore in the future. I'll handle the clan, so you don't have to worry about it."
Lu Jiaxin felt relieved that her brother didn't think she was being unreasonable.
Lu Guang continued, "Jiaxin, the news of you sponsoring the children's education in the clan has spread. Some of the extended branches of the Lu family have come forward, hoping that their children can receive the same support. What do you think about this?"
Lu Jiaxin had always intended to continue supporting underprivileged children. "As long as they meet the requirements, they are welcome to apply."
"Alright."
Lu Guang then brought up Lu Jiajie's business venture. "He's partnering with a man surnamed Leng. Jiajie handles the procurement, and Mr. Leng is in charge of selling the goods across the border. They split the profits evenly. It's a risky business, but the potential gains are high."
"High risk, high reward. It's fine. Even if Fifth Brother fails, it's just a monetary loss."
"The concern is whether Mr. Leng is reliable."
"If he turns out to be unreliable, it would be Fifth Brother's fault for misjudging his character, and we can't blame anyone else."
Lu Guang had intended to ask her to talk to Lu Jiajie, but upon hearing her response, he knew it was pointless.
Understanding the influence of her eldest uncle, Lu Jiaxin felt that she should look after her younger siblings. "Big brother, Fifth Brother is almost thirty, not a three-year-old child. He knows what he's doing."
Lu Guang understood her implication—not to meddle too much, as it might backfire. While he shared similar concerns, Lu Wu was currently headstrong, and any advice would likely fall on deaf ears. He decided to wait for an opportune moment to bring it up again.
(End of Chapter)
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