Chapter 599: Tang Sufen Faces Criticism
Chapter 599: Tang Sufen Faces Criticism
By the end of August, the list of Lu family members attending the engagement banquet in Hong Kong City was finalized. Lu's eldest sister-in-law was taking Lu Ping and Lu An, while Lu Zhang and Lu Zhenzhen were refused, but they were promised that they would be taken to Lu Jiaxin's wedding. Aside from them, there was also Lu Shan. Da Mai had to manage the shop and couldn't go. Initially, they considered letting Gou Dan and Nunu go, but Lu's eldest sister-in-law vetoed the idea, feeling it inappropriate for the children to go without their mother.
Upon learning that Lu Hongjun would be going to Hong Kong City, Huang Xiaoyu approached Tang Sufen with a request: "Mom, please let Uncle Lu take me to Hong Kong City."
"Mom, the wages in Hong Kong City are so much higher. I heard that even sweepers make three to four thousand, which is over a thousand yuan in our currency. If I go to Hong Kong City and stay there to work, you won't have to worry about my younger brothers' and sisters' tuition and living expenses anymore, and I won't have to endure the humiliation of being a servant in the Lu family."
Tang Sufen, who herself longed for a chance to visit Hong Kong City, couldn't make her wish come true: "I also want him to take you there, but it's not up to him. It's Lu Jiaxin's side that handled the procedures. Once they arrive in Ram City, someone will pick them up and take them to Hong Kong City."
"Lu Jiaxin doesn't like me and didn't even invite me to her engagement banquet. How could she possibly let you go? Just give up on that idea!"
Undeterred, Huang Xiaoyu pleaded with Lu Hongjun but met with disappointment once more.
Lu Hongjun said, "Xiaoyu, stop daydreaming all the time. Focus on your work and find a good husband when the time comes."
Take her to Hong Kong City? That was out of the question. If he dared to make such a suggestion, that girl would flip out. Hadn't he noticed that neither the second nor the fifth uncle were invited?
Despite Huang Xiaoyu's pleas, Lu Hongjun remained firm, and she didn't dare show her displeasure. Instead, she turned to blame Tang Sufen: "If you had gotten along well with Lu Jiaxin initially, not only could you have gone to Hong Kong City with them in two months, but I could have also seized the opportunity to stay and work there."
Tang Sufen thought her daughter was being unrealistic: "You want her to help you find work in Hong Kong City? Even if she wanted to help, you wouldn't be her first choice with so many nieces and nephews. Behave yourself and go on the blind dates this weekend. If you still can't find a suitable match, I'm giving up on you, and you can look forward to being an old maid!"
Huang Xiaoyu hated being called an old maid, and she stormed off in anger to complain to her two brothers and sisters-in-law. She truly believed that her inability to go to Hong Kong City was due to her mother's incompetence.
The eldest son felt she made sense: "Lu Jiaxin is so rich. The money that slips through her fingers would be enough for us to live comfortably for a lifetime. But Mom managed to offend her, and now we can't even get the slightest benefit."
However, the second son, Huang Jianye, spoke up for fairness: "Lu Jiaxin was almost killed by that woman with the surname Ding. Whoever married Uncle Lu would be disliked and kept at a distance by her. So, it's not Mom's fault."
The eldest son paid no heed to his brother's words and went to find Tang Sufen early on Saturday morning. As the money from selling the snuff bottle and brush washer had been given to Huang Jianzhuo and his wife, and he refused to return it, Lu Hongjun had forbidden him from stepping into the house again, threatening to break his legs if he dared to show up.
"Don't even think about going to Hong Kong City," Tang Sufen said.
The eldest son argued that while it was understandable that the four siblings couldn't go, it was unreasonable for Tang Sufen, as the stepmother, to not be invited to the engagement banquet, as custom dictated that the stepmother should be seated in the place of honor.
"According to custom, the groom's family should also bring generous gifts to the bride's family to propose marriage," Tang Sufen explained. "But Lu Jiaxin directly set the wedding date with that man and then informed the family. So, don't talk to her about customs; you can't afford the consequences if you provoke her."
Huang Jianzhuo was puzzled by his mother's words: "Mom, what's going on?
"How could you be afraid of her?"
Tang Sufen was indeed afraid of Lu Jiaxin now. "Regarding Lu Ping being schemed against, Lao Lu said that Lu Jiaxin heard from Wang Xiaojie's description that this woman had issues. She then spent a lot of money to investigate her. Unexpectedly, she discovered that this woman had impersonated her own cousin to get into university."
"Lu Jiaxin sent the imposter and her father to prison. When the relevant departments investigated, they found several others involved in this case, and none of them escaped. Those with serious circumstances were sent to jail, while those with minor offenses were given suspended sentences, pending future performance. Jian She, we really can't afford to offend her."
Huang Jian She knew about the impersonation incident, as it had caused quite a stir in the newspapers. He just didn't expect Lu Jiaxin to be the one pushing the matter. "Mom, what does Lu Jiaxin do in Hong Kong City? How does she make so much money and become so powerful?"
When Lu Hongjun chatted with Lu Jia Guang and others, Tang Sufen had also overheard some fragments. "I heard she owns several factories. The products from Hong Kong City are in high demand here, so she must be making a lot of money."
"What kind of factories does she own?"
Tang Sufen thought for a moment before replying, "She owns a clothing factory, but I'm not sure about the others. I haven't heard Lu Hongjun mention them, so he might not know either."
After all, the father and daughter had a strained relationship, and Lu Jiaxin wouldn't confide in him about her business. Comparatively, Lu Jia Guang knew more, but he kept quiet about it.
The mother and son chatted for a while longer before Huang Jian She left.
At noon, Lu Hongjun commented, "Huang Jian She came to see you today. He must be asking for money again, right?"
Tang Sufen quickly denied it, insisting that her son had come to visit her. "It's been a long time since he last saw me. Of course, he misses me."
Lu Hongjun couldn't help but laugh at her words. "Miss you? If he were truly filial, would he take advantage of your trust to deceive you for money? Tang Sufen, they only value you as long as you can provide for them. Once you're no longer useful and can't make money, you'll become a burden, and they'll avoid you like the plague."
Tang Sufen felt that he was cursing her, and she angrily scolded him in response.
Lu Hongjun sighed. "If you refuse to listen, then forget it. I just hope you won't regret it later."
Tang Sufen wasn't too worried. As long as Lu Hongjun was doing well, she would still have her meals taken care of. She didn't rely on her children for retirement; how could they possibly consider her a burden? It was unthinkable!
Seeing that she wouldn't listen to him, Lu Hongjun gave up trying to convince her.
The next day was Sunday. Not long after breakfast, Wang Xiaojie arrived. "Uncle San, the car is waiting for us in the alley. Let's go!"
Noticing Lu Ping and Lu An's presence, Tang Sufen asked, "Where are you all going?"
With a smile, Wang Xiaojie replied, "Isn't it just two months away from Jiaxin's engagement? I asked around and found a tailor shop. We're going there today to get measured for new outfits."
Tang Sufen was seething with jealousy, but she dared not say anything unpleasant, nor could she afford to be sarcastic. Otherwise, Lu Ping's sharp tongue would give her a stinging retort.
Ever since Lu Hongjun's fracture, they had gotten used to having Xing Ziyang drive them around. With the increasing frequency of these trips, the gas expenses had skyrocketed. Xing Ziyang called Lu Jiaxin to ask for her opinion, and she agreed to cover the gas costs.
During the fitting, Lu Shan asked, "Aunt Tang, why are we getting our clothes made here? We could just buy a couple of sets from the market."
"The clothes made here are much nicer than the ones sold on Xiu Shui Street," Wang Xiaojie explained.
Custom-tailored outfits would look more presentable, and the fabric used here was also very comfortable. Of course, for someone as frugal as Lu Shan, as long as the clothes were wearable, he didn't have any other requirements.
(End of Chapter)
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