Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire-Chapter 149 - 140 Unsatisfied

Chapter 149: Chapter 140 Unsatisfied

Lu Jiajie looked at her calm expression and asked, “Aren’t you angry?”

Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, “If I got angry over every little thing like this, I would have been dead from anger a long time ago. It’s fine, just a jumping clown, not worth paying any mind to.”

Ding Jing, Little Brother Ding, and Kang Tongtong’s father—the evidence of their crimes was all in her hands. She had kept it secret because Lu Jiaguang’s promotion hadn’t been finalized yet.

Now that Lu Jiaguang had just been promoted, it was uncertain whether Lu Hongjun’s trouble would affect him, so she decided to wait a bit longer; they weren’t going anywhere anyway. As for Kang Tongtong’s father, there was no need to wait; she would send out the information tomorrow.

Lu Jiajie just couldn’t swallow his anger. Ding Jing’s actions almost cost Jiaxin her life, and yet she got away scot-free, even brazenly going over to eat at his big brother’s house; on the other hand, Jiaxin not only had to move out and have a falling-out with Third Uncle but now had to avoid Ding Jing as well.

The more he thought about it, the angrier Lu Jiajie got. He said, “I can’t stand this. I must teach that woman a lesson, or I won’t be able to get this hatred out of my heart.”

“How do you plan to teach her a lesson?”

“Hire someone to beat her up.”

Lu Jiaxin was speechless: “If you do that, you’ll be arrested by the Public Security Bureau. Not to mention the criminal record affecting Qiangqiang and Xiao Feng’s future prospects, the person involved will never let you off the hook.”

Lu Jiajie felt incredibly suffocated.

Lu Jiaxin laughed a bit and said, “Our ancestors had a saying that’s quite true: evil begets evil, good begets good; it’s not that they won’t be repaid, the time just hasn’t come yet. Her retribution will definitely come; it’s just that the time isn’t ripe.”

“I hope that day comes soon.”

When he returned home that evening, Ma Lili asked him, “How much money did you actually make in Yangcheng City this time? All my colleagues are asking.”

This time in Yangcheng City, Lu Jiajie did make money, but having learned from past experiences, he told others he only made a bit over a thousand, not even enough to pay off debts. Even though he hasn’t changed his clothes, nobody believed this claim.

“I made a bit over a thousand and used it to pay off big brother’s debts.”

Ma Lili was even less likely to believe that. Holding back her anger, she said, “I’m your wife, and you won’t even tell me how much money you make. Are you treating me like an outsider?”

Ever since she borrowed money to buy a house for her parents, Lu Jiajie had been cold towards her. Not only did they sleep in separate rooms now, but he also stopped giving her money—just one hundred yuan each month. This one hundred yuan had to cover household expenses and pay Aunt Ah Le. Her own money had to be used to pay off debts the moment her salary arrived; life was even tighter than before!

Lu Jiajie said, “You lent such a big sum without my consent to Ma Jixiang to buy a house, and now your elder sister’s family is living comfortably in a big house, aren’t they? Ma Lili, I discuss everything with you, but it’s you who has treated me like an outsider.”

Ma Lili started to feel a little guilty, but she was also irritated by Lu Jiajie’s constant harping: “It’s been so long since that happened, what’s the point in bringing it up all the time?”

“For me, this will never be over in this lifetime,” said Lu Jiajie. After the new year, he returned to the Forty-nine City. Ma Lili wanted him to take the kids to visit her parents for the Lunar New Year, but he refused. As for visiting Big Sister Ma’s house, not only did he not go, but he also would get upset anytime Ma Lili mentioned it.

Ma Lili’s eyes instantly reddened: “I know it was my fault, but haven’t I apologized to you? What more do you want from me?”

Lu Jiajie knew what she was after and said, “Now that I’m making money, I will give you and the children a good life. But there’s no way I’m going to let you handle the money—you can get that out of your head.”

Ma Lili’s goal was to regain control of the family finances. She knew she had hurt Lu Jiajie’s feelings and thought that if she kept a low profile for a while, he would cool off, but it had been six months with no change, and she was losing patience.

On Sunday, Lu Jiajie brought over a leg of lamb at a little past seven in the morning: “This is authentic Northwest lamb, secured through a fellow countryman. We’re in for a big feast today.”

Lu Jiaxin asked, “Are Qiangqiang and Xiao Feng coming over today?”

As for Ma Lili, it didn’t really matter; if she came, she wouldn’t be turned away, but there was no intent to invite her specifically.

Lu Jiajie said, “They were still asleep when I got up. Once I’m done buying everything we need, I’ll go and pick up the kids.”

By eight o’clock, Lu Jiaguang and Wang Xiaojie arrived, carrying a large amount of groceries. By around nine o’clock, Ma Lili came over with the kids.

Ma Lili gave Lu Jiaxin a pair of crystal hair clips, smiling brightly: “Jiaxin, I saw these at Xiushui Street the other day and thought they were very suitable for you. I don’t know if you like them?”

Lu Jiaxin accepted them, thanking her politely.

The original body loved glittering jewelry, something a fifteen-year-old girl would enjoy, but she was well past that stage. However, Ma Lili had never been particularly nice to the original body, only courteous during their encounters. It was her kindness towards the two children that had warmed her attitude.

Previously, Lu Jiaxin merely thought Ma Lili favored her natal family, neglecting her husband and children for them. But after the incident with the loan, she began to maintain her distance, treating Ma Lili with respect but keeping her at arm’s length.

Just like before, Lu Jiaguang and Lu Jiajie, along with their spouses, did the cooking, while Lu Jiaxin played with the kids. This time, they didn’t tell stories but played a game of idiom chain. However, the atmosphere in the kitchen was no longer as lively as it once was.

Sister-in-law Lu found Ma Lili’s actions senseless. Still owing a heap of debts herself yet helping her natal family, knowing her nephew would bully the kids yet sending them back to their grandmother’s home—all this while Jiaxin treated them with sincere kindness, only to be deceived. Before, she merely thought Ma Lili was a bit over-ambitious, but she didn’t realize she could be so foolish.

Ma Lili was also someone who cared about her face. Seeing Lu Jiaxin’s cold attitude, she left with her two children after lunch.

Lu Jiajie followed suit, and once they got home, he said, “Regarding Jiaxin, you shouldn’t go there in the future.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“What do I mean? Yan Fang has spread the news about Jiaxin having a deposit of two hundred thousand, attracting unwanted attention to her. Thankfully, the Xie Family stepped in to protect her, otherwise who knows what could have happened.”

Ma Lili refused to believe it: “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Although Lu Jiaxin wasn’t certain who was targeting her, Lu Jiajie was convinced Yan Fang was involved: “Strangers might speculate that Jiaxin made some money, but they couldn’t possibly know she made two hundred thousand. Didn’t I warn you before not to tell anyone about this?”

“I only mentioned it to my mom; I didn’t tell anyone else.”

Lu Jiajie said, “You colluded with your family to scheme against Jiaxin and even put her in danger. Since there’s now a rift between you, it’s better not to go there and avoid making everyone unhappy.”

Lu Jiaguang didn’t leave but instead asked Lu Jiaxin about the antique shop: “I’ve already let them know on that side, when are you planning to open your shop?”

Lu Jiaxin explained: “The grandfather’s grandson caught a cold. However, he has already bought a ticket and will be over tomorrow. Master Qian has spotted a shop there and plans to take it over.”

“Can this Master Qian be trusted?”

Lu Jiaxin didn’t mention the promises she made: “Brother Gu recommended him; I trust him. Besides, Xiaoxiao is with me; they have a deep bond and would not neglect the granddaughter over such a small amount of money.”

Lu Jiaguang said, “Jiaxin, you’re far from the emperor and high in the mountains, if he plays tricks, you won’t even know. That’s why you must have someone from our own family in the shop.”

Lu Jiaxin agreed: “The shop indeed needs to have one of our own people, but it’s not easy to find someone right now.”

Lu Jiaguang, however, said, “Why look elsewhere? Just pick someone from the younger generation of our family.”

Lu Jiaxin fell silent before saying, “Big Brother, we can’t use someone from our family. I don’t want too many people to know about the antique shop. The person we need not only has to be tight-lipped but also needs to have some knowledge of antiques.”

Lu Jiaguang fell silent for a moment then said, “Your concerns are valid. I’ll handle this matter.”

“Alright.”

Lu Jiaxin saw the visitor off at the entrance to the alley and was about to head home when Fatty Aunt stopped her: “Xiao Lu, it’s your phone call, from Xiao Ming’s brother.”

Su Heming was in charge of the family factory and couldn’t go anywhere else, effectively trapped in Peng City. Knowing Lu Jiaxin’s routine, he would call her for a chat whenever he felt down, timing it for when she was resting.

Lu Jiaxin wanted to know about the situation in Peng City and Hong Kong as well, so she would chat with him. Nowadays, it wasn’t only expensive to make phone calls, but receiving them also cost money. Lu Jiaxin’s monthly telephone bills accounted for almost half of the small shop’s telephone revenue, which is why Fatty Aunt had become familiar with Su Heming.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

When Su Heyuan heard Lu Jiaxin’s voice, he said, “Miss Lu, Madam Guh already knows about you; she came asking for information about you.”

Lu Jiaxin didn’t expect it to drag on for so long: “What did she say?”

With a hint of mirth in his voice, Su Heyuan said, “Knowing you look a lot like her, she really wants to meet you. Miss Lu, when will it be convenient for you to come over?”

He didn’t just talk about the resemblance, he also spoke of how Lu Jiaxin was mistreated and schemed against by her stepmother, while Lu Hongjun, her biological father, turned a blind eye. Guh Xiuxiu, having her heart broken by her adopted daughter, felt immediate sympathy upon hearing her granddaughter had suffered similarly.

Lu Jiaxin refused, saying, “Big Brother Su, tell the doctor my medication cannot be interrupted. I won’t go anywhere until my health is fully recovered.”

Su Heyuan didn’t expect her to refuse: “When do you think your body will recover?”

“It’s not certain yet; I estimate it might be around September or October,” Lu Jiaxin said. She was not only taking walks every day but also practiced the Eight Silk Brocade exercises morning and evening. She told the doctor her recovery was going well and that she would be much better in two or three months. However, this was her own business to know.

Su Heyuan didn’t expect it to take so long: “You could bring your medications here to boil and drink. It’s just a three to four-hour flight from the Forty-nine City to Yangcheng City; it won’t delay your medicine.”

Lu Jiaxin refused again, saying, “The weather here is still cool, while in Yangcheng City, people are wearing short sleeves. If I go there with my weak constitution, I’m sure to catch a cold. Once I have a cold, I’ll need to take medicine, and then my other medications will have to be stopped.”

First, she didn’t want to interrupt her medication, and second, she felt it wasn’t right to be too eager. Rushing to Hong Kong to acknowledge her kin could result in a cold reception. The common citizens of Hong Kong already looked down on those from the Mainland, let alone the wealthy families.

“Miss Lu, Madam Guh really wants to meet you.”

Lu Jiaxin said, “To me, nothing is as important as my health. Madam Guh’s health isn’t good either; she should be able to understand my decision.”

Having support is naturally good as it can save you from taking many detours. But without it, that’s okay too; it just means spending more time and effort. In this world, there’s nothing more important than oneself.