Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire-Chapter 571 - 554: If There’s No Love, Then Want Money

After eating two slices of icy watermelon, Lu Jiaxin’s restlessness subsided a bit. Zong Shimeng had a popsicle, the kind that many people in the future would reminisce about as the old-fashioned kind.

Having finished the watermelon, Lu Jiaxin asked with puzzlement, "Sister Shimeng, yesterday I asked Nie Zhan to inquire with my brother-in-law, but he actually didn’t know which hotel you were staying at. Sister Shimeng, are you and he having a conflict?"

"He didn’t want me to come to the Forty-nine City, saying the doctors here are not as good as those in Hong Kong, and that it would be a joke if it got out that I’d come this far for medical care."

Based on what Lu Jiaxin knew about her, it wouldn’t be enough to cause a conflict with Hu Zhifeng: "Sister Shimeng, is there something else?"

Zong Shimeng replied with a bitter smile, "It was my 32nd birthday a few days ago, he said he had to work overtime and couldn’t spend it with me. Coincidentally, Meitong went to an Italian restaurant with her mom that day, and they ran into him with that woman."

Great, no time to spend a birthday with his wife, but time to dine with a mistress. It was easy for her to criticize Fu Ye without any burden, but it wasn’t right for her to speak ill of Hu Zhifeng. Since Zong Shimeng wouldn’t get a divorce, she couldn’t add fuel to the fire.

Zong Shimeng continued, "I actually just have mild anemia, nothing serious. This trip to the Forty-nine City was supposed to be for seeing a certain doctor, but really, I just wanted to get away and clear my mind."

"I was embarrassed to tell you all, but since getting married, I’ve never been out of Hong Kong by myself. If it wasn’t for traveling with Zhifeng on business, it was taking the kids out. It’s been eleven years since I got married, and this is the first time."

Lu Jiaxin knew that women often lose their freedom after getting married and having children. Fortunately, she wasn’t included in this group, and she could travel with her children in the future.

"What did the doctor say?" fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

Zong Shimeng shook her head, "That doctor isn’t in the Forty-nine City, he’s gone to the Northeast to visit an old friend and won’t be back for another week. I was actually planning to go back tomorrow!"

Lu Jiaxin laughed, "Why rush back when it’s a rare chance to be out? Tomorrow, I’ll take you to The Forbidden City, the museum, and the Great Wall. I guarantee there’s so much to see that even a week won’t feel like enough."

Zong Shimeng, seeing her sun-darkened skin, began to have second thoughts, "In this hot weather, I’d rather not. I’m afraid of getting heatstroke."

Lu Jiaxin, still smiling, said, "Both The Forbidden City and the museum are indoors; the Old Summer Palace and the Summer Palace were where the emperors went to cool off. They’re very pleasant. The only hot spot would be climbing the Great Wall. If you’re worried, we could just take pictures at the bottom."

Zong Shimeng was still hesitant, "I’ve been out for three days, and I’m sure little Bao and the others miss me a lot."

Lu Jiaxin understood her feelings, it was normal to miss her children after a few days away, but she shouldn’t give up her own interests and pursuits to revolve solely around them. However, she didn’t try to persuade her and just smiled, "All right, let the driver buy the return ticket for tomorrow."

She wasn’t going back, planning to stay a few days and wander around, then take some pictures. Every time she visited, she would take extra photos so she could see the changes in the Forty-nine City more directly.

Zong Shimeng was surprised and looked at her, "I thought you would try to persuade me to stay?"

Lu Jiaxin laughed, "Sister Shimeng, when you came to ask me for the doctor’s address that day, Nie Zhan was really worried. He asked me if I was advising you to get a divorce... He said I can’t stand to see you being wronged, so I would advise you to get a divorce. He even brought up the saying, ’It’s better to dismantle ten temples than to destroy one marriage.’ It really put him in a difficult position."

Zong Shimeng never expected such a scene, she shook her head saying, "I won’t get a divorce. If I do, I won’t be able to take any of my children with me. And the position of Mrs. Hu, they’ve had their eyes on it for a long time. If I divorce, I would just be making room for them."

"In Hong Kong, those who remarry, how many are good to their stepchildren? If they can grow up well, that’s already kind. Lots of them meet with accidents and die young. Even for adult children, they can instigate so much that father and son, or father and daughter, become estranged."

Lu Jiaxin knew she was right, for there had been many such precedents in later generations, "I know you can’t bear to part with the children, so I never mention those two words. Sister Shimeng, you have money and both a son and a daughter, you’re already a winner in life, it doesn’t matter if a man is unfaithful."

Seeing Zong Shimeng looking at her, Lu Jiaxin voiced her thoughts, "Treat him as a business partner; you take care of the children and the household, while he’s responsible for making money for you and the children to spend. In the end, the bulk of the assets will also go to you and the children."

As long as the Elder Master Hu and Elder Lady Hu are still around, nobody could overstep the eldest grandson. Of course, unless the heir turned out to be completely incompetent or unable to shoulder responsibilities. However, Zong Shimeng had three children; if all of them proved to be useless, it could only be attributed to fate.

If a man is unfaithful and you can’t divorce, then you must find a way to be at peace with it. Consuming oneself with internal strife is bad for one’s health and not worth it.

Zong Shimeng listened in a daze; this form of consolation was quite special indeed. But truth be told, after hearing this talk, her mood had improved substantially.

Lu Jiaxin yawned, "I’m a bit sleepy; I’m going back to my room to take a nap. Sister Shimeng, if you need anything, just tell Aunt Mei and have her exchange it for you."

"Alright."

This time, Lu Jiaxin didn’t sleep long; she was afraid that sleeping too much would keep her from sleeping at night, so she had Miao Na wake her up after an hour. After waking up, Lu Jiaxin called Nie Zhan to tell him Zong Shimeng was staying at her house.

Nie Zhan hummed in response then said, "This time Brother Feng really did go too far, but thankfully, he has already dealt with it. Jiaxin, anger is harmful to one’s health, please give your sister-in-law some good advice."

Well, it seems it wasn’t just a simple matter of not being home for his wife’s birthday because he was with another woman. Based on Nie Zhan’s words, she had a guess.

Lu Jiaxin deliberately snorted coldly, "On one hand, people at home are pressuring Sister Shimeng to have a fourth child, and on the other hand, he lets another woman outside get pregnant. What does he take Sister Shimeng for?"

Nie Zhan didn’t assert that the other woman had schemed, because that would surely invite a tirade, "What’s done is done. Being angry or sad won’t change anything."

Her previous remark had been a bluff to test Nie Zhan, but to her surprise, it turned out to be true, "So you mean to just let it go?"

Nie Zhan dared not say such a thing; he explained, "Brother Feng said he was trapped by schemes. I told him that now is not the time for excuses; practical actions are needed to earn sister-in-law’s forgiveness."

Lu Jiaxin liked what she heard, "Sister Shimeng really likes this mansion and wants to buy one. However, the price of such mansions has risen so much. I spent two million Hua currency from purchase to moving in, and now it’s worth more than six million."

Asking Zhifeng for a share of the company was unrealistic, as the Hu Family was currently under Old Master Hu’s control, and Zhifeng himself only possessed 10% of the company’s shares. Being the Crown Prince and not having any company shares would make the senior management feel that one is not valued and incapable of managing those below.

Nie Zhan said, "Okay, he’s arranged to have dinner with me tonight. I’ll talk to him about it at the table. Jiaxin, take more photos of the mansion and let me see what it looks like."

"If you want to know what it looks like, why not fly over this weekend? Can’t you squeeze out a three-day break if not a ten-day half-month holiday?"

Nie Zhan replied, "I have already made an appointment with a major client this weekend and can’t leave. How long will you be staying in the Forty-nine City? If you’re not coming back soon, I’ll come over next week."

"I won’t be going back this week, but I’m not sure about next week."

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