Chapter 707: Lu Jiaxin's Side Story 11
Chapter 707: Lu Jiaxin's Side Story 11
Elder Mr. Nie, in his old age, couldn't handle the shock, and Nie Zhan wanted to keep Nie Manlin's drug addiction a secret, but the fact that she didn't return home was impossible to hide.
As Nie Zhan feared, Elder Mr. Nie fainted upon learning the truth. Although Nie Zhan had brought a doctor in preparation, and the timely treatment saved his life, he suffered another stroke. Having already experienced two strokes previously, this one left him completely paralyzed, unable to speak, and he could only communicate through eye gestures.
Lu Jiaxin, as the granddaughter-in-law, also visited the hospital, but she merely made an appearance without getting involved. With Nie Jingwen and Nie Zhan, his grandsons, taking care of things, it wasn't her place to worry.
That evening, Zhang Lanlan called Lu Jiaxin and asked if she was at home: "Younger Sister, I have something to discuss with you, but it's not convenient to talk over the phone."
"Is it urgent? If not, I can leave work at 3 pm and we can talk when I get home," Lu Jiaxin replied. After giving birth, she always left work early, and if there were no urgent matters, she would rush home for lunch. This was the joy of being her own boss.
"Okay."
Zhang Lanlan's purpose for this call was to discuss Nie Manlin's situation: "Younger Sister, someone sent some photos to Jingwen, pictures of his aunt taking drugs. They're asking for five million to sell us the negatives. I accidentally found out about this, and I told Jingwen not to give them the money, but he didn't agree."
"When did this happen?"
Zhang Lanlan whispered, "Just last night. I tried to convince him for half a day, but when he still wouldn't listen, I told him that the decision to buy the negatives should be made by Nie Zhan. He couldn't refuse me after that."
She felt strongly that they shouldn't pay, as doing so would bring great trouble in the future. The other party was clearly well-prepared, and who knew how many negatives they had! Although the Nie family was powerful, the other party was overseas, and these drug addicts only cared about money, not their lives.
"Sister-in-law, do you mind if I call Big Brother now?" Lu Jiaxin asked. If Nie Zhan hadn't gone to Australia, she wouldn't have to deal with this matter herself.
Zhang Lanlan, of course, didn't mind. Her presence here meant she wasn't afraid of Nie Jingwen finding out.
Nie Jingwen answered her call and said, "I discussed this with Ah Zhan this morning, and he shares your opinion."
He was worried that the other party, in desperation, might release those photos, and he considered paying them off. However, not only did his wife disagree, but Nie Zhan also refused, and now Lu Jiaxin opposed it as well, so he decided not to insist.
Lu Jiaxin first thanked him and then said, "Big Brother, let's wait for some time to pass, and these rumors will naturally dissipate. If we show weakness now, they'll see us as their bank and keep asking for money in the future."
That evening, when she spoke to Nie Zhan on the phone, Lu Jiaxin asked how he planned to handle this matter: "If we don't make them fear us this time, any random person could take advantage of us in the future."
As much as she despised Nie Manlin, she didn't want to have much contact with her, but she never wanted her to get involved with these dirty things. Once entangled in these vices, it was hard to break free, and countless families had been ruined because of them.
Nie Zhan hummed in agreement, "I'll tell you the details when I get home."
After years of living together, they had developed a strong understanding, and Lu Jiaxin knew that he had already taken action, but it wasn't convenient to discuss over the phone. "Alright, I'll wait for you to come home with the baby."
Three days later, Nie Zhan returned from his business trip and told Lu Jiaxin that all the negatives had been retrieved. He didn't explain how, and she didn't ask. What mattered was getting the job done, not the process.
Soon, it was the Lunar New Year month, and Elder Mr. Nie's condition was more severe this time. During his previous strokes, combined Western and Chinese medicine treatments had him speaking again quickly, but this time, after more than a month of treatment, he still couldn't speak, and only his eyes could move. Nie Zhan had to visit the hospital daily, and his constant worry affected his mood.
Lu Jiaxin felt that rather than living in such pain, it would be better to opt for euthanasia. However, as she was just the grandson-in-law's wife and the family was wealthy, it was certain that they wouldn't give up on treatment.
On the 23rd day of the last lunar month, Lu Jiaxin called Lu Hongjun and said, "The plane leaves tomorrow. I've already spoken to Xing Ziyang, and he'll send you to Pengcheng. Someone will meet you there and help you through customs."
Happiness is relative. Compared to Nie Manlin, Lu Hongjun's situation was much more straightforward and worry-free. After she bailed him out, Lu Hongjun, without his retirement pension, became well-behaved and stopped causing trouble. He even stopped having ambiguous relationships. Unlike Nie Manlin, who was like a mentally challenged person who couldn't understand what others were saying, and now that she was being taken advantage of, her husband had to deal with the aftermath.
Lu Hongjun immediately agreed and, after hanging up the phone, called the housekeeper to help him pack his clothes.
The housekeeper said, "Comrade Lu, it's warm in Port City. Don't bring thick clothes; just pack two sets of inner clothes for changing."
She even suggested that he didn't need to bring clothes for changing, as the boss was wealthy and generous, and would definitely prepare new clothes for the New Year. But she didn't say this out loud, as she was also cautious. After all, the relationship between father and daughter wasn't very good. In case they had a falling out, at least he would have some clothes to change into.
Lu Jiaguang came to visit after work and, upon learning that Lu Hongjun was going to Port City the next day, was very happy. "Xiaojie has prepared a lot of sausage. You can bring it with you, as Jiaxin likes to eat it."
Lu Hongjun didn't refuse, but said, "Just bring the sausage. There's no need for anything else. She's very picky with her food now, and there are many things she used to like but doesn't touch anymore."
Indeed, it was best to just bring the sausage, as other foods were not suitable for travel.
The night before their departure, Lu Jiaguang couldn't help but say with concern, "Third Uncle, Jiaxin is taking you to Port City out of consideration for your old age, not because she has forgiven you. Once you're at Jiaxin's place, don't meddle in anything and just spend more time with the children."
It was already a big step for Jiaxin to make this concession, and he was worried that Lu Hongjun might not understand the situation and cause trouble again, possibly reverting to his old ways.
Lu Hongjun waved his hand and said, "She's allowing me to go to Port City because she knows I miss the children. I understand what to do, so you don't need to worry."
Without his retirement pension, he relied entirely on Jiaxin for his daily needs, so he dared not upset her. Although Jiaxin didn't want him to live in Port City, he was still very content with his life here. He spent his days in the park practicing Tai Chi, playing chess, and feeding the birds. His nephew and great-nephew would visit after work to chat with him. On weekends, Lu Shan would send all three children to keep him company. His current life was the envy of his peers.
Lu Jiaguang, reflecting on Lu Hongjun's changes over the past two years, felt that he should trust him. When he returned home, he told Wang Xiaojie that Lu Hongjun had changed a lot.
Wang Xiaojie said, "He used to have a high retirement pension, so Jiaxin not supporting him wasn't a problem. But now that he has nothing, if Jiaxin doesn't take care of him, how can we expect Lu Shan to provide the comfortable life he has now?"
Lu Shan was a filial son, but he worked hard for his earnings and had to support three children. It was a blessing that Lu Hongjun could rely on Lu Shan for food, clothing, medical care, and even have someone attend to his needs and buy whatever he wanted to eat.
Lu Jiaguang didn't say anything, but he felt that it was a good thing Lu Hongjun didn't have a high retirement pension. Everyone knew that he was now dependent on his daughter for support, and since she didn't approve of him finding someone else, no one was introducing him to potential partners anymore. Without looking for a new partner, things had become peaceful.
(End of Chapter)
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