Chapter 79: Moving Out of the Ma Family's Home
Chapter 79: Moving Out of the Ma Family's Home
After the implementation of the one-child policy, Ma's father and mother began to regret marrying their daughter off to Lu Jiajie. If they had adopted a son-in-law into the family instead, their family line would not have been broken. Now that their eldest daughter is willing to change their younger son's surname to Ma and continue their family line, the couple's hearts are biased towards their eldest daughter and future grandson. If the child hadn't kept his original surname, they would have kicked them out long ago. However, the eldest son-in-law has finally relented, saying that as long as Ma Lili and Lu Jiajie move out and let them move in, they will agree to the surname change.
Lu Jiajie could no longer tolerate this humiliating treatment. Seeing Ma's mother driving them out, he stood his ground and said, "Alright, I'll move out now."
With that, he picked up Xiao Feng'er and went inside to pack their belongings. Ma Lili had gone to pick up their son and by the time they returned home, Lu Jiajie had already packed their clothes and bedding.
Ma Lili was shocked and asked, "Jiajie, what are you doing?"
Lu Jiajie recounted what had happened earlier, and after finishing, he said, "These past few months, your elder sister has mocked me for being a kept man. She insinuated that I wanted to occupy your family's house, and I endured all of that. But today, when Xiao Feng'er was bullied like this, your mother not only failed to stand up for her but also accused her of lying. Even if it means sleeping on the streets with our child, I can't continue to live here anymore."
Xiao Feng'er, scared, started crying again. "Daddy, I don't want to sleep on the streets. There are bad people on the streets who will kidnap me and break my arms and legs to make me beg. Daddy, I don't want to be a little beggar."
Ma Lili was stunned. "Feng'er, who told you that?"
Upon learning that it was the chubby boy who had said those things, Ma Lili flew into a rage and went to confront Ma's mother.
Lu Jiajie, suppressing his anger, picked up his daughter and comforted her. "We won't sleep on the streets. For now, we'll go to your aunt's place to stay for a few days."
Qiangqiang, in tears, held onto Lu Jiajie, pleading with him not to leave him behind.
Lu Jiajie patted his son's head reassuringly. "Don't worry, Daddy will never leave you behind. If we're going, we'll go together."
Ma Lili was in the middle of an argument with Ma's mother when she saw Lu Jiajie walking ahead with a suitcase in one hand and a bag in the other. Qiangqiang held his sister's hand as they followed behind.
With a somber expression, Lu Jiajie said, "Lili, if you can't bear to leave, then stay. But I can't stay here with our children anymore. If we continue living here, who knows what kind of mistreatment they'll endure."
Ever since he learned that Ma's elder sister had proposed changing the younger boy's surname and witnessed the change in Ma's parents' attitudes, he had been considering moving out and renting a place of their own. Ma Lili had hesitated due to concerns about her sister's schemes and the children's schooling, so she had always been reluctant to move out. But now, moving out was the only option.
Ma's mother flew into a rage upon hearing this. "Lu Jiajie, I raised these two children from the day they were born, feeding and cleaning up after them. Whenever there was something good in the family, I always gave it to them first. And now you say such things? You truly are heartless."
Indeed, it was out of gratitude for the couple's help in raising the two children that Lu Jiajie had taken on the dirty and tiring chores around the house all these years, always being the one to solve any problems that arose.
With a cold expression, Lu Jiajie replied, "Ever since Yan Jixiang moved in, the way you've treated my children is clear to me, and even clearer to them. There's no need to say more. Today, I'll grant your wish, and we'll move out."
Ma Lili walked over, picked up Xiao Feng, and held Qiangqiang's hand. Together, they followed Lu Jiajie out. As they descended the stairs, she didn't hear her mother call out to her, and her heart ached with the realization that her parents were truly eager to see them leave.
Once they reached the ground floor, Ma Lili, with reddened eyes, said, "It's not appropriate for us to stay with Xin Xin without her consent, is it?"
Lu Jiajie wiped his face and said, "It's fine. We'll just borrow their place for a few days. I'll go look for a place to rent tomorrow."
It would take at least three to four days to find a place and get it ready.
Ma Lili paused before saying, "Let's not rent. If we're going to move, we should buy a place outright."
Lu Jiajie understood her implication—if they bought a suitable home before moving out, they could stay there for a more extended period. "Don't worry," he said. "Before Jia Xin left, she told me that if we couldn't stay here anymore, we could stay with her temporarily."
"Did Jia Xin really say that?"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
Ma Lili wiped her tears and said, "Alright then, let's move now. Peng Shu has a tricycle we can borrow."
Xue Mao was astonished to see the family of four standing at the door with their luggage. "Brother Jie, what's going on?"
Lu Jiajie briefly explained about Xiao Feng'er being bullied and Ma's mother driving them out, his voice thick with emotion as he finished.
Xue Mao was furious. Xiao Feng'er was so adorable, and he couldn't understand how anyone could stand by and watch her being bullied, let alone her own grandmother, whose heart seemed to have turned to stone.
Seeing that Xue Mao was at a loss for words, Lu Jiajie said, "Xiao Mao, don't worry. I'll go look for a house tomorrow and try to buy one as soon as possible. We'll only be staying here for a few days."
Xue Mao snapped back to attention. "Brother Jie, buying a house is a major decision that can't be rushed. Take your time and make sure you find a suitable one."
"Brother Jie, you're Jia Xin's brother. You're welcome to stay here as long as you need. I'm sure Jia Xin would say the same."
Noticing the redness in the children's eyes, especially Xiao Feng'er's swollen eyes, it was clear that they had been crying for quite some time. He washed their hands and brought them a bowl of jujubes to eat.
Xue Mao saw that the children weren't taking the jujubes, and said with a smile, "These dates were specially bought for you by your aunt from the ancient capital. They're very sweet; I guarantee you'll want more after trying them."
Little Feng'er tilted her head back and asked, "Did Aunt really buy these for us?"
"Of course it's true. She bought not only jujubes but also apples and pomegranates. You can eat the jujubes now, and after dinner, I'll peel a pomegranate for you."
Tempted by the delicious treats, the two children quickly forgot their earlier unhappiness. Ma Lili saw that Lu Jiaxin had bought these treats for the children even while she was in the ancient capital, and felt that temporarily staying with her should not be a problem.
Lu Jiaguang went straight to the appointed restaurant after work, and when he arrived, Lu Hongjun was already there. The first thing he said to him was, "Jiajie has been back for half a month now. How much longer does she plan to stay there?"
This time, Lu Jiaguang had not only come to share the news he had just received but also to persuade Lu Hongjun to stop favoring that mother-daughter pair.
Lu Hongjun knew that Lu Jiaxin had gone to sell her paintings, and he was both shocked and angry. "She's gone crazy for money!"
Lu Jiaguang's face darkened. It was unbecoming of a father to speak ill of his own daughter like this. "Uncle San, was Jiaxin like this before? No, she became like this because of someone."
Lu Hongjun saw his annoyed expression and softened his tone. "I had someone look into it. It was Jiaxin's classmate who suggested she go out to clear her mind after feeling suffocated in Si Jiucheng. As for her returning to her hometown, it had nothing to do with your Aunt Ding and Si Yi."
"What about Jiaxin's failure in the college entrance exam? That was caused by them."
Lu Hongjun continued to side with Ding Jing. "That had nothing to do with your Aunt Ding. She only found out about it later and has been strongly opposed to their relationship ever since."
Lu Jiaguang asked, "Uncle San, by favoring them and ignoring the harm they've caused to Xin Xin, aren't you afraid that she'll be truly heartbroken and cut ties with you?"
Lu Hongjun said, "Si Yi dating Fan Yinuo is wrong, but your Aunt Ding had nothing to do with that. She only found out about it later and has been firmly against their relationship."
Seeing that he was avoiding the question, Lu Jiaguang did not get angry. Instead, he said, "Uncle San, I know what you're thinking. You think that Xin Xin is your biological daughter, and even if she makes some mistakes, she won't be able to ignore you in the future."
"You say that Xin Xin is obsessed with money now. Do you know why she's so eager to make money? It's because if she has money, she won't have to rely on you anymore."
"Uncle San, if Xin Xin stays in Si Jiucheng, she may feel pressured to take care of you when you're old and immobile. But have you ever thought about what would happen if she left Si Jiucheng or even the country?"
Lu Hongjun's face changed at this suggestion. "What do you mean by that?"
Lu Jiaguang said calmly, "Jiajie lived with Jiaxin before, and he said that she spends a lot of time studying English every day. We all know that English is the subject that Xin Xin dislikes the most. Why is she so enthusiastic about it now?"
If it were in the past, he wouldn't have thought so much about it, as his sister was like a blank sheet of paper, wearing her heart on her sleeve. But after going through this ordeal, his sister had not only become more thoughtful but also learned to use strategies. Of course, this was a good thing.
Lu Hongjun finally understood. "You're saying that she's so eager to learn English because she wants to study abroad, but it's not that easy to go abroad."
Seeing that he still viewed his sister with his old-fashioned thinking, Lu Jiaguang said, "Uncle San, there are two ways to study abroad. One is to study on a scholarship, and the other is to pay your own way. With Jiaxin's intelligence, as long as she works hard, it won't be difficult for her to get a scholarship for further studies overseas in the future."
Lu Hongjun took a sip of tea and then smiled. "I know Jiaxin better than you. Passing the college entrance exam is no problem, but wanting to study abroad on a scholarship is impossible."
Knowing that further persuasion would be futile, Lu Jiaguang didn't want to waste any more breath. "Uncle San, I just hope that you won't regret it in the future."
Lu Hongjun had originally wanted to tell him something, but after their argument, he didn't feel like saying anything. In the end, the two men left without even eating their meal.
Wang Xiaojie saw the angry look on his face and walked up to ask, "What happened?"
Lu Jiaguang irritably unbuttoned the first button of his shirt and said, "I haven't eaten dinner yet. Can you cook me a bowl of noodles?"
Wang Xiaojie was surprised but didn't ask further, seeing his mood. She went into the kitchen to prepare the noodles. It wasn't until they were getting ready for bed that night that she asked if he had argued with Lu Hongjun.
Lu Jiaguang briefly recounted what had happened. "From his expression, even if Jiaxin really gets a scholarship to study abroad in the future, he will probably stop her from going."
"Surely not?"
Lu Jiaguang suppressed his anger and said, "With his temperament, he will most likely do that. Jiaxin went to Pengcheng to sell her paintings, probably with the intention of leaving Si Jiucheng."
"You mean, she wants to study abroad on her own?"
Lu Jiaguang shook his head. "It's not that serious. But she wants to take the college entrance exam, right? She can easily take the exam in another province, and since his connections are all in Si Jiucheng, once he retires in a couple of years, she can completely break free from his control."
Wang Xiaojie was astonished. "Jiaxin is still so young. How could she think so far ahead?"
"Jiaxin has grown up. She's not the same Jiaxin from before, so let's not look at her with our old biases."
(End of Chapter)
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