Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire-Chapter 73 - 67: Eating the Last of the Family
Chapter 73 -67: Eating the Last of the Family
Second Aunt Lu heard that Lu Jiaguang was on a business trip, and the keys were in his office. Without hesitation, she said, “It’s not a big deal, just smash the lock.”
Ma Lili’s understanding was refreshed. She only knew that Second Aunt Lu wasn’t hygienic and loved to scheme, but she had never expected her to be so unscrupulous.
Lu Jiajie said, “Dad, Mom, the neighbors all know the house belongs to Xinxin. If we break the lock, the street’s ladies are bound to call the police, and we’ll end up staying at the police station tonight.”
Second Aunt Lu said, “If the neighbors ask, we’ll just say the keys are lost and Jiaxin hasn’t come back. We have no other option. After all, they know you and won’t call the police.”
Second Uncle Lu and Second Aunt weren’t afraid of the neighbors calling the police, but Lu Jiajie was reluctant to take them there. The two didn’t know where the house was, and couldn’t go even if they wanted to.
Second Aunt Lu cursed Lu Jiajie in their hometown dialect, but seeing that he wouldn’t budge, she had no choice, “Alright, let’s go to your Third Uncle’s place then!”
...
Staying at a hostel was out of the question, as they would not part with two yuan for a night. Lu Jiaguang’s place was too crowded, while Lu Hongjun had a spare room.
Lu Jiajie was still hoping that Lu Hongjun would help him get a job with a higher salary, better benefits, and less stress, so he wasn’t about to let his parents show up at his door late at night, “Dad, Mom, it’s too late for the bus now. It’s over two hours’ walk, and by the time we get there, Third Uncle will have gone to bed.”
Ma Lili snapped out of it and chimed in, “Dad, Mom, the compound of the department store has a guard, and they don’t let outsiders in after nine at night. Even if we hurry over now, we’d still have to stay at the hostel.”
After much persuasion, they finally coaxed the couple into staying at the hostel. Once they had settled them in, Ma Lili and Lu Jiajie left.
Once out of the hostel, Ma Lili’s face grew dark, “Lu Jiajie, how could you not tell me in advance about such a big deal as Dad and Mom coming to the Forty-nine City? Do you not plan on having a peaceful life?”
Lu Jiajie was torn, and he explained, “At first, Dad and Mom wanted me to find Lu Wang a job in the Forty-nine City, but I avoided that. Then they changed their tune to wanting to visit Qiangqiang and Xiao Feng. I didn’t agree, so they made a fuss asking whether I had changed Qiangqiang’s surname and even threatened to confront my in-laws. I had no choice but to bring them.”
Blocking grandparents from seeing their grandchildren would cause people to criticize him as unfilial.
Ma Lili’s face was stern as she asked, “Now that they’re here, why must they stay in Xinxin’s house? And breaking in? That’s no different from being burglars, how could they even suggest that?”
Lu Jiajie thought for a moment and felt he couldn’t hide the truth, so he told her of his parents’ intentions, “Dad and Mom think that Jiaxin is a girl, and a married daughter is like spilled water. Since the house was bought with Third Uncle’s money, it should be left for the males in the family.”
Ma Lili also grew up with two sisters and had suffered a lot. Her uncles in the countryside even pressured her father to adopt a son. She scoffed bitterly, “What, do they still think it’s the old society, threatening to cut off the family line?”
Being poor was one thing, but to be dirty, unhygienic or even abusive was tolerable. However, to think of cutting off the family line was both terrible in character and shameless. If she had known they were like this, she would never have married into the family.
The more she thought about it, the more disgusted Ma Lili became, and she no longer wished to see them, “I’m busy these days and have no time to accompany them. You figure out how to dissuade them, or not only will Xinxin turn against you, but Third Uncle will be angry and won’t help you anymore.”
Lu Jiajie knew he was at fault and softly replied in agreement.
Ma Lili added, “And when we buy our own house, you can’t slip up on your words. Otherwise, if they want to come to the Forty-nine City for retirement, you’re going to have to live with them!”
She could tolerate her husband’s occasional laziness, but she couldn’t stand such in-laws. They were too frightening, considering a brother’s property and job as their own just because his family had no son. Living under the same roof with such shameless and unprincipled people would definitely affect the children.
Lu Jiajie was too envious of Lu Jiaxin, so he blurted out everything after just two glasses of rice wine, “Don’t worry, I haven’t let slip a word about us planning to buy a house. Once we’ve bought the house, I will also ask my older brother and sister-in-law not to tell mom and dad.”
Ma Lili’s mood finally improved a bit, but the plans her in-laws had made were still stuck in her throat like a fishbone, “You find a way to get them to go back to their hometown as soon as possible and don’t let them come here anymore. Also, I won’t let them have contact with Qiangqiang and Xiao Feng—who knows what they might say to the kids.”
Because of this, she didn’t sleep well that night and after pondering for a long time, she called Sister-in-law Lu the next day to talk about the situation.
Wang Xiaojie’s initial reaction was, “Are you sure you haven’t got it wrong?”
She had always known that Second Aunt Lu wanted Lu Hongjun to find jobs for her three sons. However, Lu Jiachai had lost the chance to join the army because of his criminal record, and the second son was adopted out after completing junior high. These two, Lu Hongjun could no longer manage. Luckily, Jiajie was promising, so Third Uncle had arranged a job for him.
Second Aunt Lu wanted her sons to leave farming behind because it was too hard, and she wanted them to work in the city which was understandable. But to covet Third Uncle’s job, assets, and Jiaxin’s house, she thought was unlikely. After all, Lu Hongjun was not someone with a good temper.
Ma Lili spoke of the old couple’s attempts to pick the lock, “As elders, they still wanted to pick the lock and move in even after their niece refused. Sister-in-law, it seems to me they’ve already treated that house as their own.”
Wang Xiaojie was shocked and also went on guard; those two absolutely must not come to live in their house…
Ma Lili said, “Sister-in-law, please inform my brother-in-law about this. We can’t let them do whatever they want; otherwise, Jiajie and I will lose all our face.”
“All right, I’ll tell your brother-in-law about it tonight,” Wang Xiaojie said.
Lu Jiaguang was not surprised when he heard the news, “They had this idea when they initially suggested that Jiajie be adopted by Third Uncle. Third aunt saw through them, so she made it clear that adoption was fine, but the lion’s share of the family’s wealth had to go to Jiaxin. They backed out at that point.”
Later, when Mrs. Lu passed away, they felt an opportunity had come and approached Lu Hongjun again, willing to have Lu Jiajie adopted into the third branch of the family. Unfortunately, Lu Hongjun saw through them and flatly refused.
Wang Xiaojie had not realized there were so many complications.
Seeing her furrowing her brow, Lu Jiaguang said with a smile, “They are the elders; it’s not appropriate for me to handle this matter, let’s leave it to Third Uncle!”
“I’m just worried Jiajie will feel uncomfortable knowing this,”
Lu Jiaguang laughed, “At the time of the adoption, Third aunt didn’t take out her anger on Jiajie, in fact, she even facilitated his marriage to his sister-in-law. Now that Second Uncle and the others are targeting Jiaxin’s house, he is even more eager for the two of them to return early.”
With that said, Wang Xiaojie no longer had any concerns.
Three days later, Second Uncle Lu and Second Aunt Lu went back. They actually wanted to stay a few more days, but Lu Hongjun said if they didn’t go back, he would make Lu Jiajie go back to the countryside to farm as well. With their Achilles’ heel firmly in his grip, they had no choice but to compromise.
Having sent the two off, Ma Lili felt much more relaxed. But thinking that Lu Jiaxin had still not come back for such a long time, she became a bit worried, “It’s already been a week, how come she hasn’t returned yet?”
Lu Jiajie also did not know, “Jiaxin said she still had some things to take care of and that she would need to return later. Don’t worry, she calls my brother every couple of days to check in.”
Ma Lili said with some sigh, “Jiaxin makes calls to my brother-in-law, but she doesn’t contact Third Uncle, it seems she really has let this chill her heart.”
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