Chapter 67: The Greedy In-Laws
Chapter 67: The Greedy In-Laws
When Lu Er's aunt heard that Lu Jiaguang was away on a business trip and that the key was in his office, she immediately suggested, "It's not a difficult task. We can just break the lock."
Once again, Ma Lili was shocked by her aunt-in-law's shamelessness. She was already aware of her unhygienic and scheming nature, but she never expected her to be so unscrupulous.
Lu Jiajie objected, "Dad, Mom, the neighbors all know that the house belongs to Xin Xin. If we break in, the neighborhood aunties will definitely report us to the police, and we'll end up spending the night at the police station."
Lu Er's aunt argued, "We'll just tell the neighbors that we lost the key and that Xin Xin hasn't returned. They all know me, so they won't report us."
While Lu Er and his wife were unfazed by the possibility of the neighbors reporting them, Lu Jiajie was unwilling to take them to his sister's place. Without knowing the address, they wouldn't be able to go even if they wanted to.
Frustrated, Lu Er's aunt scolded Lu Jiajie in their native dialect. Seeing that he remained firm, she finally relented, "Fine, let's go to your third uncle's place then!"
Staying at a guest house was out of the question; they were too stingy to spend two yuan per night. Lu Jiaguang's place was too cramped, but Lu Hongjun had a spare room.
Lu Jiajie, who had been hoping that Lu Hongjun could help him find a better-paying and less strenuous job, didn't want to bother them at this late hour. "Dad, Mom, it's too late now, and there are no more buses. It will take us more than two hours to walk there, and by the time we arrive, Third Uncle will already be asleep."
Ma Lili, coming back to her senses, added, "Dad, Mom, the department store compound has a security guard, and they don't allow outsiders in after 9 p.m. If we go there now, we'll still have to stay at a guest house."
After much persuasion, they finally managed to convince Lu Jiajie's parents to stay at the guest house. Once they had settled them in, Ma Lili and Lu Jiajie left.
As soon as they stepped out of the guest house, Ma Lili's face turned grim. "Lu Jiajie, how could you not tell me that your parents were coming to Si Jiucheng? Do you not plan on continuing this marriage?"
Lu Jiajie felt overwhelmed. He explained, "At first, they wanted me to find a job for Lu Wang in Si Jiucheng, but I refused. Then they said they wanted to come and visit Qiang Qiang and Xiao Feng, but I disagreed, so they started arguing with me, asking if I had changed Qiang Qiang's surname, and even shouting that they would demand an explanation from my in-laws. I had no choice but to bring them here."
As grandparents, it was only natural for them to want to see their grandchildren, and refusing them would be seen as disrespectful.
With a stern expression, Ma Lili asked, "So they came, and you put them up in a guest house. But why do they insist on staying in Xin Xin's house? And why would they even consider breaking in? They're no better than thieves, and yet they have the audacity to say such things."
Lu Jiajie knew he couldn't keep it a secret, so he decided to tell her about his parents' plan. "They think that since Xin Xin is a girl, and a married daughter is like spilled water, the house, which was bought with Third Uncle's money, should be passed on to the male members of the family."
Ma Lili, who also had two daughters, could relate to this. She and her sisters had endured a lot of pressure from their uncles in the countryside, who even forced their father to consider adopting a son. Ma Lili was so angry that she almost laughed. "What? Do they think we still live in the old society, where they can 'eat the family out of house and home'?"
She could tolerate their poverty, their unkempt appearance, their lack of hygiene, and even their penchant for cursing. But their greedy and shameless intention to disinherit their own granddaughter was too much. If she had known their true colors, she would never have married into this family.
The more she thought about it, the more disgusted she felt, and she decided that she didn't want to see these in-laws anymore. "I'm very busy these days and don't have time to entertain them. You need to find a way to change their minds. Otherwise, not only will Xin Xin cut ties with you, but Third Uncle will also be angry and may stop helping you in the future."
Lu Jiajie knew he was in the wrong, and he quietly agreed.
Ma Lili continued, "After we buy our own house, you can't keep making excuses. Otherwise, if they want to come and live with us in Si Jiucheng, you can go with them."
She could tolerate her husband's occasional laziness, but she would not tolerate such in-laws.
Terrified by their shamelessness and lack of scruples, Ma Lili exclaimed, "It's appalling! Just because my brother-in-law's family doesn't have a son, they're treating his job and possessions as their own. Living under the same roof with such despicable people will definitely have a negative influence on our children."
Lu Jiajie, feeling ashamed and a bit tipsy from a few cups of wine, divulged, "Don't worry, I haven't said a word about our plans to buy a house. Once we've purchased it, I'll ask my older brother and sister-in-law to keep it a secret from Dad and Mom, and not to tell Third Uncle either."
Ma Lili's mood improved slightly, but the schemes of her in-laws still weighed on her mind. "You need to find a way to send them back to their hometown as soon as possible, and make sure they don't come back. Also, I won't let them near Qiangqiang and Xiaofeng. Who knows what they might say to the children."
Ma Lili lost sleep over this matter and, after much thought, called Wang Xiaojie the next day to inform her of the situation.
Wang Xiaojie's first reaction was, "Are you sure you got this right?
She had always known that Lu Er's aunt wanted Lu Hongjun to find jobs for her three sons. However, with Lu Er's criminal record and his expulsion from the army, and the fact that the second son had been adopted out after middle school, there was no way Lu Hongjun would help them. Fortunately, Jiajie had proven his worth, so Third Uncle arranged a job for him.
While it was understandable that Lu Er's parents wanted their sons to have less arduous lives as farmers and desired for them to work in the city, their covetousness towards Third Uncle's possessions and Xin Xin's house seemed out of the question. After all, Lu Hongjun was not known for his patience or forgiving nature.
Ma Lili recounted the incident with the lock, "As elders, they still insisted on breaking in even after their niece refused them. Sister-in-law, I think they've already decided that the house belongs to them."
Wang Xiaojie was shocked and immediately became vigilant. She knew these people must not be allowed to stay in their home.
Ma Lili continued, "Sister-in-law, please talk to your husband about this. We can't let them create a mess; otherwise, Jiajie and I will be humiliated."
"Alright, I'll discuss it with your brother-in-law tonight," Wang Xiaojie assured her.
Lu Jiaguang, already aware of the situation, was unsurprised. "When they initially suggested having Jiajie adopted by Third Uncle, they had this plan in mind. Third Aunt saw through their intentions and made it clear that while adoption was acceptable, the majority of the family property should go to Jiaxin. That's when they retracted their proposal."
Later, when Lu's mother passed away, they saw another opportunity and approached Lu Hongjun again, expressing their willingness to have Lu Jiajie adopted by the third branch of the family. Unfortunately for them, Lu Hongjun had also seen through their schemes and flatly refused.
Wang Xiaojie was taken aback by the extent of the situation.
Noticing her furrowed brows, Lu Jiaguang smiled and said, "As their elders, it's not appropriate for me to interfere. It's best to leave this matter to Third Uncle to handle."
"I'm just worried that Jiajie will feel uncomfortable," Wang Xiaojie replied.
Lu Jiaguang laughed, "When Third Aunt found out about the adoption plan, she didn't take it out on Jiajie. In fact, she facilitated his marriage with her niece. Now that Second Uncle and his wife are targeting Jiaxin's house, he probably wants them to leave even more than we do."
With these words, Wang Xiaojie's worries subsided.
Three days later, Lu Er and his wife returned home. The couple had wanted to extend their stay, but Lu Hongjun made it clear that if they didn't leave, he would send Lu Jiajie back to the countryside to work the fields. With no other choice, the couple reluctantly agreed to leave.
After seeing them off, Ma Lili felt a sense of relief. However, as the days passed and there was still no sign of Lu Jiaxin, she began to worry. "It's been a week. Why hasn't she come back yet?"
Lu Jiajie also had no idea. "Jiaxin said she had some matters to attend to and would return in a few days. Don't worry, she'll call your brother-in-law soon to let him know she's safe."
Ma Lili sighed, "Jiaxin calls your brother-in-law but doesn't contact Third Uncle. I guess she's truly hurt."
(End of Chapter)
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