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Chapter 75: Sun Xun is Arrested
Chapter 75: Sun Xun is Arrested
Lu Jiaxin steered the conversation back to Sun Xun's family: "Brother Gu, once Sun Xun gambles away all his money, he'll definitely start scheming about selling the children."
Gu Wenfeng responded with a hum, "Sun Xun's gambling addiction is getting worse. He'll lose all his money soon, and then he'll definitely sell the kids."
He paused before continuing, "His wife can't afford to raise six children. Even if Sun Xun doesn't sell them, she'll have to give up the younger ones to survive."
This wasn't mere speculation on Gu Wenfeng's part; he had received news that someone had already approached Sun Xun's wife, intending to adopt the twins. But out of maternal love, she was stubbornly holding on.
Lu Jiaxin, filled with disgust for such scum, suggested, "Gambling is illegal, and the authorities are cracking down hard these days. Let's report him to the police."
Anyone caught gambling these days would face severe consequences, especially with Sun Xun's previous record. A sentence of ten or eight years wouldn't be unexpected. By the time he got out, the children would be grown up and no longer vulnerable to him.
Gu Wenfeng had been contemplating taking action for some time, but he had his reservations: "If Sun Xun is arrested for gambling, he'll definitely be fired from the factory, and then he won't be able to live in that storage room anymore. The widowed mother and her children will be left without a place to stay, making their lives even more difficult."
He had been debating whether to discuss this with Lu Jiaxin over the past few days, but in the end, his rationality prevailed. While Lu Jiaxin's willingness to help stemmed from her kindness, he felt that bringing it up himself would be coercive.
Lu Jiaxin pondered for a moment before suggesting, "Let's send her 5,000 yuan anonymously. With that money, she can buy a house and still have some left over. Freed from Sun Xun's deadweight, she should be able to raise the children with this sum."
Gu Wenfeng was deeply touched, but he objected, "Five thousand is too much. A thousand or two would be more than enough for them."
Lu Jiaxin lowered her head and said softly, "Five thousand is indeed a lot, but if they can't make it through, I'll never forgive myself."
Rationally, he should dissuade Lu Jiaxin, as the amount was excessive. But thinking of the destitute mother and her children, he couldn't bring himself to voice his objection.
Noticing his internal conflict, Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "Come with me to Pengcheng. Help me sell my paintings for a good price, and 5,000 yuan won't seem like much."
Gu Wenfeng readily nodded, "Don't worry, I'll make sure to find out the best prices for you."
For lunch, the pair dined at a state-owned restaurant outside. While Gu Wenfeng possessed exceptional martial arts skills, his culinary abilities left much to be desired. Lu Jiaxin, on the other hand, was a capable cook when she felt like it, but today she wasn't in the mood to enter the kitchen, hence their decision to eat out.
In the afternoon, they visited an antique market, where Lu Jiaxin first purchased two exquisite bottles before turning her attention to paintings.
Her eyes landed on a celebratory painting, and she inquired about it. Much to her surprise, the owner quoted a price of 1,000 yuan. "This is an authentic work by the renowned Southern Song dynasty painter Liu Songnian. It's a great deal."
"Five yuan," Lu Jiaxin countered.
Gu Wenfeng, initially concerned that she might be overcharged, was stunned by her aggressive haggling.
The owner's face twisted in dismay. "Miss, this is a genuine Liu Songnian painting from the Southern Song dynasty. I'm already selling it for far less than it's worth."
Lu Jiaxin chuckled, "A genuine Liu Songnian painting? Uncle, I may not know much about antiques, but if it were truly his work, it would fetch far more than 1,000 yuan. Why would you sell it to me for so little?"
After some back and forth, they settled on a price of 10 yuan for the painting. Subsequently, Lu Jiaxin purchased ink wash paintings and flower, bird, and animal illustrations. In total, she spent 89 yuan on this shopping spree.
As they exited the antique market, Gu Wenfeng smiled, "I was worried you'd be taken advantage of."
He had assumed that someone of Lu Jiaxin's background, a young lady from a wealthy family, wouldn't haggle over prices and would simply pay whatever was asked.
Gu Wenfeng was all prepared to be the bad guy, but it turned out he didn't even need to step in. Well, he had to admit, his negotiation skills paled in comparison to Lu Jiaxin's.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "There are many stories circulating in the antique market about people who stumbled upon genuine antiques and became overnight millionaires. It's fun to listen to, but it's mostly just that—stories. Only those with exceptional expertise can spot a real treasure among a sea of fakes. The odds of an ordinary person buying a genuine antique are next to zero."
Guwen Feng's respect for her grew even more.
After they finished shopping, Gu Wenfeng escorted Lu Jiaxin home before leaving again. The next morning, he informed her that Sun Xun had been arrested while gambling.
"Those gamblers were caught red-handed and claimed that Sun Xun set up the whole thing, so he's facing even more severe charges," Gu Wenfeng explained.
"How many years might he get?" Lu Jiaxin asked.
"His accomplices also revealed that Sun Xun had stolen from the factory multiple times and sold the items. With two charges against him and the current mandate for strict punishment of crimes, he's looking at a minimum of ten years," Gu Wenfeng replied.
Lu Jiaxin hoped for the longest sentence possible. In her past life, Sun Xun had also come into a windfall, only to be killed by someone else. Otherwise, with his gambling addiction, the three older children probably wouldn't have survived. Even if they had grown up, they would have been dragged down by this compulsive gambler.
After discussing the Sun family, Gu Wenfeng brought up the topic of finding someone to house-sit. He had found a suitable person—an honest and reliable man. "He doesn't want any payment. He just hopes to live here with his two children."
"What about his wife?" Lu Jiaxin asked.
Gu Wenfeng sighed. "She passed away three years ago. He was injured during a mission and was discharged from the army. He now works as a security guard at a school, but due to the housing shortage, he and his two sons live in a tiny room of about 20 square feet. They have to cook outdoors."
Lu Jiaxin naturally had no objections. The house would be empty otherwise, and having someone live there would not only bring some liveliness but also help deter thieves. "That's fine. However, no one should live in the main house or the west wing as I, and Brother Xue, plan to come back occasionally. They can use the three rooms in the east wing."
"I'll ask him to come by after work," Gu Wenfeng said.
Lu Jiaxin nodded and then brought up the topic of their trip to Pengcheng. "Your vacation days are almost up. You should leave as soon as possible. How about leaving within the next three days?"
"I'll go buy the tickets first thing tomorrow morning," Gu Wenfeng replied.
In the evening, the person Gu Wenfeng had found, Jiang Lin, arrived. He walked with a limp and seemed a bit embarrassed as he knocked on the door and introduced himself to Lu Jiaxin, "Hello, I'm Jiang Lin. Are you Miss Lu?"
Lu Jiaxin smiled at the two children standing behind him and invited them in. "Yes, I'm Lu Jiaxin. You must be Uncle Jiang. Brother Gu has gone out, but please come in. We can talk inside."
As Jiang Lin entered the courtyard, he said, "Miss Lu, I can give you 5 yuan a month as rent."
Lu Jiaxin felt that he was indeed an honest man. "There's no need for rent. Just take good care of the house and make sure no one breaks in and steals my things."
To throw others off their trail, she had already displayed the paintings and ceramics she had bought. The main reason for inviting Jiang Lin to stay was to prevent the Sun family from discovering the secret passage.
Jiang Lin's eldest son piped up, "Don't worry, sister. No matter who it is, I'll break their legs if they dare to break in and steal!"
Lu Jiaxin trusted that Gu Wenfeng wouldn't bring her someone unreliable. She handed a key to Jiang Lin and said, "We'll be leaving in a couple of days. You can move in after that."
She wasn't worried that Jiang Lin and his two sons would try to take over the house. If they behaved themselves, they could stay until she sent someone to replace them. But if they had any mischievous ideas, she would teach them a lesson and then kick them out.
(End of Chapter)
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