Chapter 501: Sowing Discord
Chapter 501: Sowing Discord
Lu Hongjun woke up at six in the morning and, leaning on his cane, began to explore the house on his own. It was Xing Ziyang who spotted him and accompanied him on his walk around the property.
It took him a while to stroll through the large mansion with its five courtyards and gardens. By the time he finished his round, it was already past seven. Sitting in the pavilion in the back garden, he asked, "When did Jiaxin leave?"
"The boss's flight is at nine," replied Xing Ziyang. "She's already gone."
"She's gone?" Lu Hongjun asked, a little taken aback. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have seen her off."
Xing Ziyang was well aware of the animosity between Lu Hongjun and Lu Jiaxin, and he felt no sympathy for the older man. The boss was such a kind-hearted person, and it was only because her heart had turned cold towards him that she now ignored him.
"Old Mr. Lu, breakfast is ready in the kitchen. Let's go and eat," said Xing Ziyang.
"Is the cook still here?" asked Lu Hongjun.
"Yes, the cook will be here until the end of the month," replied Xing Ziyang with a smile. "Old Mr. Lu, the cook is quite skilled, especially with her braised beef—it's exceptional."
Putting aside everything else, the food here was truly excellent. Every day, they were served a variety of meats, including chicken, duck, fish, and beef. However, his thoughts turned to the four brothers who had been dismissed, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. He had repeatedly urged them to learn Cantonese, but they hadn't seen the need, believing that the boss was merely trying to placate them. Now that they knew that he and Zhang Kun would be going to Hong Kong City, they deeply regretted not heeding his advice. Unfortunately, there was nothing more he could do for them; even his pleas for leniency on their behalf had been rejected.
The braised beef was indeed delicious, and the cook, aware of his health issues, only gave him five pieces. However, as he was about to leave, she packed a large box for him, instructing him to keep it in the refrigerator so that it would last longer.
Lu Hongjun smiled and thanked the cook for her kindness.
The cook hesitated for a moment and then said, "Old man, I'm going to be blunt. You can't rely on stepchildren or adopted ones in your later years. If you want to live comfortably, you need to depend on your own flesh and blood."
"My older brother is a perfect example of this," Lu Hongjun nodded. "When he was younger, he abandoned his wife and children to raise a widow's child. Once that child grew up and established themselves, they kicked my brother out. Now that he's sick, he wants my nephew and niece to take care of him, but no one pays him any mind."
Lu Hongjun indicated that he understood with a nod.
Xing Ziyang escorted him back to the front yard to rest and said, "The car will be back soon. Just wait a little longer, and I'll drive you home myself."
Upon hearing this, Lu Hongjun asked, "Now that Ms. Gu is back in Hong Kong City, will this house be left empty? What about the car? Will it just be left here?"
"The boss will be returning, so the car definitely won't be sold," replied Xing Ziyang. "Old Mr. Lu, if you need to use the car for something important, just give the guards a call in advance. There will always be someone here to look after the place, and they can all drive. Just have them send you wherever you need to go."
Lu Hongjun expressed his gratitude for the offer but politely declined. "Young man, if Jiaxin finds out, she'll punish you for it."
Xing Ziyang couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Old Mr. Lu, everything here belongs to the boss. Whether it's used, discarded, or how it's used, it's all up to the boss. I wouldn't dare make such a decision on my own. The boss specifically said that you could use the car, but only for important matters and only by yourself."
"Alright," Lu Hongjun agreed.
Around nine-thirty, Wang Lin returned with the car.
Xing Ziyang was surprised. "Wang Lin, why didn't you go back to Hong Kong City with the boss?"
Wang Lin smiled and explained, "The boss gave me half a month of family visit leave. After I send Old Mr. Lu back, I'll head to the train station to buy my ticket."
"Train tickets are hard to come by these days," said Xing Ziyang. "I have a friend who works at the train station. I can ask him to help. When do you want to leave—tomorrow or the day after?"
"Either day works for me," replied Wang Lin.
"
The two men dropped Lu Hongjun off at home and then set off to buy tickets.
After they left, Tang Sufen pulled Lu Hongjun aside and demanded, "Did you give all the money and gifts to Lu Jiaxin last night?"
Lu Hongjun retorted irritably, "What money and gifts? Have you gone crazy thinking about money?"
"Furthermore, she is my biological daughter. It's only right that I give my things to her. Who are you scowling at? Do you think I should have given them to you or Huang Jianjun's family instead? Tang Sufen, their surname is Huang, not Lu. My money and belongings have nothing to do with them."
"Tang Sufen, if you continue to make such a fuss, there's no need to carry on with this charade. It's better to part ways and have some peace and quiet."
Hearing this, Tang Sufen dared not create a scene anymore. However, she was very unhappy about the situation and immediately turned to Lu Jiachong, complaining that Lu Hongjun had given all the money and gifts to Lu Jiaxin.
Tang Sufen feigned concern and said, "I understand that my children have the surname Huang and not Lu, so I can accept him not giving me anything. But Lu Shan was adopted into the third branch of the family, and traditionally, possessions are passed down to the male heirs. How could he give them to a daughter who has married out?"
Lu Jia was so angry that he almost went to confront Lu Hongjun. However, he managed to retain his composure and only went home to sulk. When Lu Er returned home, he angrily relayed what had happened: "We only agreed to let Shanzi be adopted into the third branch on the condition that she wouldn't take her uncle's belongings. Now she's taken both the money and possessions. What does this mean?"
Lu Er's wife's expression changed slightly as she asked, "Has Jiaxin returned?"
Lu Jia became even angrier, wondering why she wasn't focusing on the main issue. He snapped, "How could she have taken her uncle's belongings if she hadn't come back?"
"Who told you about this?"
"Aunt Tang."
Lu Er's wife scoffed, "Aunt Tang? She's only one year older than you. You should call her your younger sister."
Lu Jia's face turned dark as he asked, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Lu Er's wife gave him a tongue-lashing, "Are you filled with tofu instead of brains? Jiaxin has donated millions and even sponsored underprivileged children from the clan to go to school. Do you really think she would care about her uncle's meager possessions?"
"Tang Sufen deliberately telling you all this is clearly an attempt to sow discord between us and Jiaxin. You're already in your old age, yet you can't see through such a simple scheme."
Lu Jia couldn't bring himself to utter a word in response.
Lu Er's wife also didn't want to continue the conversation and instead went inside to call Wang Xiaojie. She then learned that Lu Jiaxin had returned five days ago and had even visited Lu Jiaguang's home for a meal without informing them.
Wang Xiaojie sighed, "Sister-in-law, it's not that we deliberately didn't tell you, but Jiaxin specifically instructed us not to inform you. Sister-in-law, Jiaxin is probably upset about the adoption issue."
Lu Er's wife explained, "Sister-in-law, the reason I didn't tell Jiaxin, Uncle San, or any of you about the adoption was that I wanted to use this opportunity to get rid of the Peng family's trouble. I never intended for Gou Sheng to be truly adopted. I didn't expect the matter to blow up like this, causing Uncle San to be hospitalized."
Wang Xiaojie said, "I know you're not as muddle-headed as your second brother. But from Jiaxin's perspective, it's understandable that she's upset."
Putting aside the house in the compound for now, Jiaxin had given Lu Shan such a large shop front precisely because he was adopted into the third branch and became their heir. Even if there was no intention for a real adoption, they should have at least communicated about it. Otherwise, who knows what they were thinking.
Lu Er's wife acknowledged, "I admit that I didn't handle this matter thoughtfully. It's not Jiaxin's fault."
If anyone was to blame, it was her brainless husband. She hadn't realized how foolish he was back in their hometown, but now, living here, she felt his stupidity was unbearable, and it made her furious.
(End of Chapter)
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