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Chapter 552: Glory and Honor for the Clan (1)
Chapter 552: Glory and Honor for the Clan (1)
Upon hearing that Lu Jiaxin had returned, Lu Dabai's steps quickened as he made his way home. He entered his house but didn't find anyone inside.
"Jiaxin, Jiaxin..."
Dabai's wife, the elder aunt, emerged from the kitchen at the sound of his voice and said, "Jiaxin is tired and resting in her room. Don't shout and wake her up."
As she finished speaking, the door to the room opened, and Lu Jiaxin stretched lazily before greeting him. "Hello, Dabai. You're back."
Lu Dabai smiled and invited her in. "You silly girl, you could have called me before coming back. I could have sent someone to pick you up."
Lu Jiaxin shook her head, declining the offer. "I drove myself, so there was no need. Dabai, Seventh Uncle came to me earlier to discuss building the ancestral hall. I proposed two conditions: if they agree, I'll fund the construction; if not, then forget it."
Hearing her conditions, Lu Dabai fell silent for a moment before replying, "Jiaxin, I don't think the villagers will agree to your conditions."
Lu Jiaxin shrugged, unbothered. "If they don't agree, then so be it. The men of the clan can build the ancestral hall themselves when they have the money."
Since Hengshan wasn't far away, he had come to visit the elderly couple. Lu Jiaxin's mother's grave had been moved to Harbor City, and Lu Hongjun would likely be buried in Siyou City in the future, so unless there was a special occasion, they wouldn't return. Therefore, whether or not the ancestral hall was built had little to do with her.
"Jiaxin, if you're willing to fund the construction of the ancestral hall, the clan will be grateful," Lu Dabai said.
Lu Jiaxin's response was blunt and to the point: "Their gratitude won't make me live forever, and their resentment won't take away a piece of my flesh."
He hadn't expected her to be so stubborn, but Lu Dabai didn't persist in persuading her. Instead, he brought up the topic of the village school. "Jiaxin, our village school is in a dilapidated state. Can you fund the construction of a new teaching building?"
He brought this up because he knew how much she valued education, and he was hesitant to even mention the ancestral hall, let alone ask for her financial support for it.
Lu Jiaxin didn't immediately agree but said, "Dabai, let's go take a look at the school tomorrow."
"Jiaxin, we'll pay our respects to your grandparents' tomb tomorrow morning, and then I'll take you to the school," Lu Dabai suggested.
"Okay," she agreed.
Just then, the elder aunt called them to eat dinner. The meal was sumptuous, featuring red braised lamb, gourd chicken, drunken meat, lamb bone soup, three types of vegetables, meat-stuffed buns, and lamb dumplings. Considering that some of the bodyguards were from the south, they had also cooked rice.
During the meal, the elder aunt asked, "Jiaxin, I heard from Jia Guang that you're graduating this July. Now that you've graduated, what are your plans?"
Lu Jiaxin smiled and replied, "I've started two companies, and now that I've graduated, I can focus on managing them properly."
The elder aunt was already aware that Lu Jiaxin had been running businesses while studying in Harbor City, so she wasn't surprised by this news. However, she was concerned about another matter. "Jiaxin, you've been dating that Mr. Nie for three years now. Isn't it time to settle down?"
Lu Jiaxin didn't share the details of her relationship with the Nie family with them, as she saw no need. "Aunt, I'm only twenty this year, and I don't want to get married and have children so soon."
The elder aunt felt that they could at least get engaged, and it wouldn't hurt to delay the wedding by a year or two. "Jiaxin, young people recover quickly after giving birth. Moreover, every woman needs to get married and have children eventually. It's better to do it sooner rather than later!"
Lu Jiaxin had no intention of arguing and simply expressed that she wouldn't marry before the age of twenty-five. Sigh, in her previous life, she had been pressured to marry, and now, in this life, it was happening again. What's more, being pressured to marry at the age of twenty was simply terrifying.
The elder aunt knew that Lu Jiaxin had her own mind, so she gently nudged Lu Dabai, indicating that it was his turn to speak.
However, Lu Dabai hoped that Lu Jiaxin would prioritize her career for the time being and not rush into marriage. "Don't listen to your aunt. She has a narrow perspective."
Marriage and children will revolve around the children, and eventually, the father will have to manage the company. Jiaxin, you must keep a tight grip on the money your company earns and never hand it over to others. Human hearts are unpredictable, who knows if he will take over the company and swallow it whole."
The unpredictability of human nature had led to countless people turning against each other for personal gain, be it father and son, brothers, or married couples. Such precedents were aplenty.
Lu Jiaxin explained, "Uncle, Ah Zan has eight companies under his own name, one of which is a real estate company with a market value of over 4 billion. It ranks fifth in Harbor City. His net worth is conservatively estimated at 3 billion, so you don't have to worry about him taking over my company."
Lu Dabai was puzzled as Jia Guang had told him that all these companies belonged to the Nie family. "If the companies are his family's, how can they all be under his name?"
Lu Jiaxin chuckled, "No, they've already divided the family assets. The real estate and construction companies were given to him, while the family bank was given to his eldest brother. The other companies are either his own factories or acquisitions."
Lu Dabai drew in a sharp breath, "Then... is Mr. Nie incredibly wealthy?"
Lu Jiaxin smiled as she replied, "He also knows how to invest, and has made a lot of money over the years. Uncle, his net worth is greater than mine, and he's better at making money. Moreover, I've made a will, and if anything unexpected happens to me, all my property will be donated to the country for poverty alleviation and education."
With these words, Lu Dabai no longer worried that Nie Zhan would harm Jiaxin for her money. "Jiaxin, when will you bring this Mr. Nie back to introduce him to us?"
As for trying to stop the marriage, it was useless since Jiaxin was so determined. They decided not to interfere further.
Lu Jiaxin said, "Ah Zan is always very busy, and it's unlikely he'll have the time to come here specially. But you and Aunt can come to Harbor City, and I'll have him host you there."
Lu Dabai and his wife had no desire to make such a trip, as it would be both tiring and expensive.
Since they had cooked a lot, there were still some meat pies and lamb dumplings left over. Without a refrigerator, the food would spoil if they didn't finish it the next day.
The elder aunt said, "Jiayao, take the lamb dumplings to your Second Uncle's house, and the meat pies to your Seventh Uncle's house. He loves those."
Lu San's wife was unhappy and said, "Mom, my parents love the meat pies the most, but they haven't eaten meat in a long time because we're so poor."
The elder aunt didn't indulge her, saying, "If you were more diligent, you could earn some money and buy them a few pounds of meat every month. Then they wouldn't have to rely on these occasional treats."
"Jia Yao, why are you still standing there? Hurry up and go deliver the food. If we don't finish it tonight, it'll spoil, and that would be such a waste."
Lu Jia hurried into the kitchen.
Lu San's wife stamped her feet in frustration. Her mother-in-law was becoming more and more stingy, hoarding the money and locking away all the good food. She would rather send it to distant relatives than let her take it home. It was infuriating!
They hadn't noticed it as much when Lu Er's wife was still around, but now that she was the only daughter-in-law in the family, her flaws were more apparent. Aside from being lazy and unwilling to work, she also loved to brag about her family when she visited them. They had told her off several times, but she never listened, and her son always took her side.
Sometimes she wished the couple would move out, but her older sons disagreed, saying they wouldn't feel at ease with only the two of them living there. Sigh, sometimes one just had to turn a blind eye. As her husband always said, you can't be a good grandfather unless you're deaf and mute.
(End of Chapter)
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