Zhu Jiabao laughed and scolded, "After following your Grandma Mei for a few days, you've become like her. You're not allowed to learn the good things but the bad ones."

Zhu Fanfan didn't take it seriously: "Curiosity is human nature, it's in our bones, we don't need to learn it. Grandpa, tell us quickly! I want to hear about the Ji family's misfortune."

Although Lai Lanhua did not register her marriage with Ji Fa, Ji Fa kept her in the military region, which meant he tacitly acknowledged their relationship and considered her a member of the Ji family. He mocked her as a money-loser and said she wouldn't live long. She didn't retaliate because Grandma Da Mei had already dealt with her badly, so she let her off the hook for the time being. She couldn't do anything, and she couldn't let her know that the Ji family was in trouble and be happy about it.

Zhu Jiabao sighed helplessly: "Ji Fa later married a woman named Jian Chunfang. When he proposed, he had already shown some ability, so his potential was naturally noticed. His father-in-law was once a high-ranking officer in the Nationalist army, but later defected to the Communist army. After liberation, his position was higher than Ji Fa's, except that he was in the political department, not the military headquarters..."

Under the guidance and help of their maternal grandfather, Jian Chunfang's children all developed well. After Jian Chunfang passed away, Ji Fa had the idea of ​​finding a companion. However, the children felt that their mother had only been gone for less than a year and strongly opposed it.

Ji Fa didn't know what had gotten into him, but he started arguing with the children and kept blaming them for not going home to see their elderly parents, leaving him all alone. After a few days of this, the children softened and agreed to let him remarry, but only if their mother had been gone for a full year.

The matter had been resolved, and the children, fearing that Ji Fa would be lonely, took turns visiting him. Not long after, they discovered Lai Lanhua and her son. Ji Fa claimed that he did not know of Ji Jicheng's existence before, and once he did, he would not let his own son wander outside. He also took Lai Lanhua with him.

What followed was fierce opposition from the children. They could accept their blood-related brothers, but they couldn't accept their father's ex-wife moving into their home. The family already had conflicts, and now Ji Fa had stirred up a hornet's nest.

Zhu Fanfan asked, puzzled, "Does Ji Fa have a lot of power? Is it because there aren't enough resources to go around?"

Zhu Jiabao, utterly dejected, said, "My little darling, do you have to be so blunt?"

How could he guess so accurately? He wanted to maintain a bit of mystery! How could he remain mysterious with Fanfan acting like this?

Zhu Fanfan said, "Isn't the argument at home just about this? It's either money, power, or benefits."

Zhu Jiabao said smugly, "The Ji family is really not like that. Ji Fa doesn't have much power. The Ji family's children are quite capable and can make a name for themselves without relying on Ji Fa. But just because they look down on their father's resources doesn't mean they'll hand them over to others."

Especially the biological father's first wife and biological son. Their biological mother suffered with their father, but passed away when it was time for her to enjoy happiness. However, the biological father wanted to share the fruits of his labor with his first wife and even protected Ji Jicheng. It is common knowledge that with a stepmother comes a stepfather.

If the person they marry is someone they know well or just wants a stable life, they don't care. If the person is a good person, they can take care of the person if the biological father passes away first. Besides, how deep can the relationship between the biological father and the stepmother be cultivated? They will receive very little benefit after the father passes away, and the children who marry the father's spouse afterward will naturally not benefit either. But it's different with Lai Lanhua.

The original wife already had feelings for him, and the son was even closer to her. With the father's guilt, he would definitely satisfy all of Lai Lanhua's unreasonable demands. After all, Lai Lanhua had given them a hard time the first time they met, and her attitude was extremely arrogant. Although they were turned down, they also realized that Lai Lanhua was not someone to be trifled with, and they were afraid that she would cause trouble for them.

Zhu Fanfan found it amusing: "Lai Lanhua came out of the village looking for someone, and before she even got her footing, she wanted to give the host a hard time?"

That's really something. They haven't even figured out the situation yet, and they're already trying to establish their authority and assert their sovereignty?

Zhu Jiabao, however, didn't find it funny: "Didn't you ever think about where Lai Lanhua came from?"

Zhu Fanfan was speechless. It seemed that Ji Fa had orchestrated the whole thing. If Ji Fa hadn't been intentional, how could Lai Lanhua have known about him in the village? The couple had been divorced for many years, each with their own families and no contact with each other. How could they possibly have known about each other right after the wife's death?

If it weren't for Ji Fa's machinations, how could Lai Lanhua be so unscrupulous? She gave the original owners of the house a hard time as soon as she arrived, and she's still arrogant and putting on airs in the small building. Doesn't she know her ex-husband's position?

Zhu Jiabao sighed, "So the Ji family is also about to face some trouble."

Ji Fa wanted to compensate Ji Jicheng, which was fine, but he couldn't use the connections his mother had built. Jian Chunfang had excellent relationships with her neighbors, and everyone was willing to associate with her and help her whenever they could. In particular, the Jian family had their own way of dealing with people and had achieved good results at work, which helped Ji Fa a lot.

Ji Fa, on the other hand, felt that his current status was earned through his own abilities, so it was his freedom to help whomever he wanted with the achievements he had earned. The children's objections stemmed from their resentment that he had used the Jian family's connections.

He wouldn't dare to act wildly towards his father-in-law, but he had no qualms about his own children; the whole family was in a bit of a fuss! But cultured people don't resort to tantrums and shouting; they have their own methods.

Zhu Fanfan asked, "Is Ji Fa's position very high?"

Zhu Jiabao scoffed: "He's just a director. Above him are the deputy ministers and the minister, and above the minister are his superiors. His power is limited."

Fortunately, he didn't hold an important position. Family conflicts would directly affect his work, and carelessness at work could lead to problems. Therefore, the higher authorities now pay close attention to the family situation of cadres.

Zhu Fanfan asked curiously, "Grandpa, you're a general now, isn't that the highest position in the military?"

Zhu Jiabao chuckled and said, "How high do you think your grandfather's rank is? I'm just a general. Above me are generals, above generals are marshals, and above marshals are grand marshals. I'm only in charge of a part of the military. I can't even participate in the affairs of the political department."

Zhu Fanfan still didn't understand, but Zhu Jiabao interrupted: "I'll tell you all these things later. But what do you think about Grandpa Ming's family's secret manual? Your Grandpa Ming is a stubborn person. He won't give up on you easily once he discovers your talent."

Secret manuals are generally not taught to outsiders, but he has broken this rule. When he saw that Ming Yunshu had great talent, he felt it would be a waste not to learn something, so he passed on the Zhu family's martial arts manual to him. Fearing that Ming Yunshan would have objections, they tacitly did not mention it.

Ming Zhengyang guessed the truth, but chose to keep it from Ming Yunshan for his sake, fearing that Ming Yunshan would feel wronged.

Zhu Fanfan was genuinely puzzled: "Can he force me to learn if I don't want to?"

As long as she doesn't want to study, she can just fall asleep. It's normal for children to be sleepy, and there's nothing he can do about it.