Chapter 625: Showing No Mercy
Chapter 625: Showing No Mercy
Gu Xiuxiu lived in the fourth courtyard, and since moving in, she had no desire to relocate. Complying with Lu Hongjun's request, he was accommodated in the third courtyard.
After settling him in, Lu Jiaxin returned to the second courtyard with Nie Zan. "This residence is spacious and scenic. It's indeed a perfect place for recuperation," Nie Zan remarked.
"Are you thinking of pleading his case so he can stay longer?" Lu Jiaxin asked.
Nie Zan wouldn't dream of doing something so foolish. "No, I just feel that these residences are quite reasonably priced. We could buy one for your father to live in, so he won't have to envy Aunt anymore," he suggested.
Lu Jiaxin rolled her eyes at him. "Even for a place like this, you need luck. Shi Meng searched for a long time and only managed to buy a three-courtyard residence."
"The Chaoyang residence has five rooms and a courtyard, which is very spacious for a single occupant. Plus, it's right next to Chaoyang Park. Once he's recovered, he can go there to practice tai chi or play chess with others. If he feels bored, he can always visit your brother or Shanzi's place," Nie Zan explained.
Smiling, Nie Zan added, "Rarity increases value, and I believe these residences will become very pricey in the future. It might be a good idea to buy several and hold onto them for their appreciation."
Investing in courtyard homes was indeed a sound financial decision, especially with the potential for future demolition driving up their value. Lu Jiaxin had considered this herself but ultimately dismissed the idea. "Courtyard homes will become rarer over time, and those that escape demolition will undoubtedly soar in value. However, while the single-courtyard homes are easy to rent out, the same can't be said for the two- or three-courtyard ones. Renting them out comes with the risk of damage, and the rental income might not even cover the cost of repairs. On the other hand, keeping them vacant could lead to deterioration. So, I'd rather not buy too many," she explained.
Hearing her reasoning, Nie Zan also abandoned the idea of stockpiling several courtyard residences.
As they were talking, Qian Xiao Xiao's voice came from outside, "Boss, Mr. Nie, Lu Jiazong and his wife have arrived and are waiting outside."
Lu Jiaxin's return had gone unnoticed, and now Lu Er Sao, having brought chicken soup to the hospital to visit Lu Hongjun, only to find that Lu Jiaxin had already discharged him. To make matters more surprising, her fiance, Nie Zan, had accompanied them home. After much thought, Lu Er Sao called Lu Jiazong and asked him to come and apologize to Lu Jiaxin.
"Show them to the third courtyard," Lu Jiaxin instructed.
Lu Jiaxin had a mild case of mysophobia, so she took a shower and changed into clean clothes before heading to the third courtyard. Nie Zan offered to accompany her, but she stopped him. "You stay here for now. I need to speak with them privately."
Nie Zan guessed that she probably intended to scold them and felt it was best to give them some privacy. "Alright then, I'll go take a shower as well."
When Lu Jiaxin arrived, Lu Hongjun was sipping red jujube chicken soup. During her visit to the hospital the day before, she had noticed that Lu Hongjun had not only become fairer but also gained a considerable amount of weight. It was then that she learned from Lu Shan that their family, along with Lu Da Sao and Lu Er Sao, had been taking turns preparing various soups for him.
Lu Jiazong felt a twinge of guilt and lowered his head when he saw Lu Jiaxin.
Lu Er Sao inwardly berated her husband for his lack of spine but knew that there was nothing they could do now. "Jiaxin, when did you get back?" she asked.
Lu Jiaxin nodded and then turned to Lu Jiazong. "Second Brother, Tang Sufen told you that Dad gave all the antiques to me, but there's no proof for that. It was purely her speculation. However, your reaction confirmed her suspicions. Later, when she shared this with Huang Xiaoyu, it led to the recent trouble."
At this, Lu Jiazong immediately interjected, "But she already knew about it from Third Uncle!"
Lu Hongjun quickly jumped to his own defense. "I didn't tell her anything! I even scolded her for her wild imagination. It's just that she felt unbalanced, so she went to you to test her theory and create discord."
Lu Jiazong had never imagined that Tang Sufen could be so cunning.
Lu Jiaxin saw the resentment on Lu Jiazong's face and said, "If you weren't dissatisfied with Dad giving me the antiques, you wouldn't have fallen for Tang Sufen's scheme. Ultimately, it's your greed that drove you, and you believed that since Shanzi was adopted into the third branch, he should inherit everything."
Lu Jiazong indeed held such thoughts and hadn't changed his mind even now. He said, "Jiaxin, you yourself said that you didn't want any of Third Uncle's belongings."
Lu Jiaxin acknowledged her previous statement and pointed at Lu Hongjun as she said, "You were discontent, but why didn't you ask him why he gave the antiques to me instead of Shanzi? If he had given them to Shanzi, they could have been passed down to Goudan and Gousheng, generation after generation."
Lu Hongjun sighed and said, "Jiazong, the reason I didn't give the antiques to Shanzi is that he couldn't protect them. If word got out, it might even bring him deadly peril. People will do anything for money, and there are plenty who value it over their lives."
Lu Jiazong remained silent.
Lu Jiaxin continued, "I gave Big Brother a mansion, and lent you the house on Guangming Road, even letting you stay in the master bedroom. You feel I'm being partial, don't you?"
Lu Jiazong wanted to deny it, but seeing Lu Jiaxin's unwavering gaze, he swallowed his words.
Lu Jiaxin coldly huffed, "Lu Jiazong, get this straight. I'm just your distant cousin from another branch of the family, not your father or mother. I don't owe it to you to treat you the same as them."
"Ding Jing caused trouble after entering the family, but Dad turned a blind eye. It was Big Brother and Fifth Brother who stood up for me. Later, when I faced difficulties in my business, it was Big Brother who helped resolve them. Since I couldn't give him shares due to his position, I gave him a mansion instead. Aside from the fact that we've only met three times before you came to Si Jiu City, what have you done for me since you arrived here?"
Lu Jiazong's face burned with shame.
Lu Jiaxin was truly fed up, so this time, she didn't hold back, "You always feel wronged, and you think Shanzi is wronged too. Have you ever thought about the kind of life you and Shanzi's family led before coming to Si Jiu City? And what kind of life you have now?"
An ungrateful person would never be satisfied, no matter how much they were given.
Lu Jiaxin said, "If Dad wants to forgive you and continue the relationship, that's his business, and I won't stop him. But that's as far as it goes."
How could she let bygones be bygones? For someone like Lu Jiazong, it was likely that he would revert to his old ways soon after being forgiven. There was no need to cut off ties completely, but keeping a distance was wise.
After saying what she needed to say, Lu Jiaxin turned and left for her own courtyard.
Lu Hongjun sighed once he could no longer hear her footsteps. "Jiazong, if we had given this batch of antiques to Shanzi, he wouldn't have been able to protect them. He might have even gotten himself into deep trouble."
"Although I didn't give the antiques to Shanzi, Jiaxin gave her a shop and the house on Guangming Road. She also promised me that she would take care of her three children. With her looking after them, the children's future will be secure."
Seeing that Lu Jiazong wasn't responding, Lu Er Sao nudged him forcefully.
Lu Jiazong hung his head and said, "Third Uncle, I'm sorry. I was thinking the wrong way before, but I promise it won't happen again."
Lu Hongjun had been very angry before, but he had realized that the root of this incident was his own doing. Now that Lu Jiazong had come to the hospital to apologize, he forgave him. "If Jiaxin doesn't want to see you, don't come here again."
Lu Jiazong nodded slightly.
Lu Er Sao also felt embarrassed and couldn't stay any longer. "Third Uncle, get some rest. We'll come to visit you again after you move back to Chaoyang."
"Okay."
(End of Chapter)
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