https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-79-Moving-Out-of-the-Ma-Family-s-Home/12576380/
Chapter 78: The Furious Lu Jiajie
Chapter 78: The Furious Lu Jiajie
Lu Jiajie first went to find Lu Jiguang and told him about Lu Jiaxin's trip to Pengcheng: "Big brother, Xin Xin is so obsessed with making money that she's lost her sense of reason."
Lu Jiguang was initially startled, but he was a calm and collected man. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Perhaps that painting is an authentic ancient artifact."
Lu Jiajie was astonished. "Big brother, how can you have such an absurd thought?"
Lu Jiguang felt that Lu Jiaxin's actions were measured, and she wouldn't have taken such a step without confidence. "Xin Xin isn't foolish. She wouldn't be easily deceived by the seller. Moreover, before something like this is sold, it must be appraised by experts."
Regardless, since Lu Jiaxin couldn't continue her studies due to her health, as long as her safety was ensured, Lu Jiguang wouldn't interfere with her decisions. Children, when they grew up, often had a rebellious streak, and the more you tried to control them, the more they pushed back.
Lu Jiajie, still unconvinced, asked, "Big brother, aren't you worried that Xin Xin will be cheated?"
Lu Jiguang wasn't concerned at all. "Xin Xin went to sell a painting. The worst that could happen is that she loses the painting, which isn't a significant loss. By the way, how much did Xin Xin pay for that painting?"
Uh...
In his haste to find Lu Jiguang, Lu Jiajie had forgotten to ask about the price. "I'll ask Xue Mao later. I don't think she paid a high price for it. Otherwise, he would have mentioned it without me prompting."
Lu Jiguang felt even more assured that there wasn't much to worry about.
Seeing his brother's nonchalant attitude, Lu Jiajie brought up the matter of the house. "That house cost two thousand and six hundred yuan. Xin Xin really spent a lot on it."
His wife had scrimped and saved over the years to put together two thousand and three hundred yuan, yet this girl had spent so much money on a house for Xue Mao without a second thought.
Lu Jiguang was surprised, but he soon understood. "After Xue Mao was kicked out, he's been drifting like a stray weed, living in fear every day. By buying him a house, Xin Xin has given him a sense of belonging, and he won't have to live in fear anymore."
At the housewarming banquet, he had seen how busy the child was, and Jiaxin wouldn't even let him rest when he offered. His wife had called the child diligent, but Lu Jiguang felt it was because the child was worried they wouldn't accept him.
Lu Jiajie knew that Lu Jiaxin had done the right thing, but he couldn't help feeling a mix of admiration and resentment.
"How's your house hunting going?" Lu Jiguang asked.
He knew that Lu Jiajie wanted to buy a house but lacked the funds. He and his wife had promised to lend him eight hundred yuan. It wasn't that they didn't want to lend more, but that was all the savings they had. With many children in the family and high expenses, they also had to send money back to their parents regularly. This year, when Lu Dabai fell ill, they had spent a significant amount, and it hadn't been easy to save up this money.
Lu Jiajie replied glumly, "My friend helped me find a house, and the other day, Lili and I went to see it. The house is nice and in a good location, but it's priced at four thousand and eight hundred yuan. We still need eight hundred more."
With their savings of two thousand and three hundred yuan, the eight hundred yuan borrowed from Lu Jiguang, and nine hundred yuan from Lu Hongjun, they were still eight hundred yuan short for the house.
"You can ask your in-laws and friends to lend you some money. You should be able to gather the amount quickly," suggested Lu Jiguang.
Lu Jiajie's eyes blazed with anger. "That's what I thought, but my in-laws said they didn't have the money. Not only that, but they also want Lili and me to pay more for our meals. By the time we managed to borrow the money from our friends and colleagues, the house had already been sold to someone else."
Lu Jiguang thought Ma Fu and Ma Mu were being unreasonable, but he wouldn't speak ill of them. "As long as you have the money, you don't have to worry about not being able to buy a house. Take your time and keep looking."
Lu Jiajie agreed sullenly. While they could continue searching for another house, the attitude of his in-laws had truly hurt him. He had offered to write an IOU and promised to calculate the interest according to the bank's rate, but Ma Fu and Ma Mu insisted they had no money. He knew very well whether they had the money or not.
This incident had pushed him to his limit with his in-laws, and coupled with Ma Dajie's cold words, he no longer visited them, choosing to stay on Guangming Road instead.
After not seeing the children for three days, Lu Jiajie missed them. He picked a bit of each of the three fruits and carried them back. He didn't want to take too much, as the rest would just be given to his aunt's family.
When he reached the bottom of the residential building, Lu Jiajie heard his daughter's cries. Rushing upstairs, he saw Xiao Pangzi riding on Xiao Feng'er, pulling her pigtail as she lay on the floor, unmoving.
Lu Jiajie's eyes widened in fury at the sight, and he immediately pulled Xiao Pangzi off and hugged his daughter.
Xiao Pangzi fell to the ground, wailing loudly. Ma's mother, hearing the cries, rushed out from the kitchen. Seeing him crying so miserably, her heart broke, and she asked, "Dabao, what happened to you?"
"Auntie hit me, auntie hit me..."
Ma's mother flew into a rage and scolded, "Lu Jiajie, how dare you hit a child when you're a grown man?"
Xiao Feng'er sobbed as she explained, "Grandma, Daddy didn't hit Cousin. Cousin hit me and pulled my hair. Daddy just pulled him away."
Ma's mother scolded Xiao Feng'er as well, accusing her of lying at such a young age.
Lu Jiajie was livid, and his voice shook with anger as he spoke, "Mother-in-law, you didn't hear Xiao Feng'er crying just now, but as soon as Xiao Pangzi started crying, you came out to take his side. They're both your grandchildren. Why do you treat them so differently?"
It wasn't that she hadn't heard; she simply regarded Xiao Feng'er as Xiao Pangzi's plaything, so she paid no mind to however much she cried or shouted.
Ma's mother's face turned purple with anger. "Lu Jiajie, how dare you speak to me like that? Do you still respect me as your elder?"
Lu Jiajie scoffed, "I know, we're an eyesore to you. Don't worry, we'll be moving out soon."
"If you really have the guts, move out today."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
