The air was deathly silent.
The dignified demeanor of the eldest wife, Madam Wang, vanished, staring at Chu Jinjin in disbelief: "But what mistake did you make?"
Unlike other bandits, Black Hawk Mountain Stronghold's actions of reporting to the authorities are useless; the only thing they can deal with is the government.
She placed all her hopes on Chu Jinjin.
Chu Jinjin shook her head: "My daughter has not done anything wrong."
See? That's most people's first reaction—regardless of the facts, they immediately assume it's her fault.
Old Master Chu Jingde's face was as fierce as thunder. Suddenly, he slammed his palm hard on the armrest of the wheelchair: "The Xu family has gone too far!"
Chu Jinjin transmigrated two years ago. As a woman born out of wedlock, she had only met this old man less than ten times in total, and in her memory, he always had a stern face.
Unexpectedly, he was able to understand the intricacies of the situation in such a short time.
Chu Jingde waved his hand to stop the eldest son's wife who wanted to show concern for him, exhaled a breath of stale air, and said in a deep voice, "Jinjin, things have come to this, try to think more positively. The Chu family has not fallen yet."
His tone was harsh, but Chu Jinjin sensed genuine concern.
Just as she was about to say something, the door was suddenly pushed open, and Liu Shi cried with tears streaming down her face: "Jinjin, how could you not tell your mother about such a big thing?"
After saying that, her gaze turned fierce, a mix of cuteness and malice, and she gritted her teeth as she walked away: "Jinjin, you wait here, Mother will go and find justice for you."
Of all the women in the Chu household, none were more unreliable than Liu, but none were more ruthless either.
Once she sets her mind on something, she can transform as if by magic, and all notions of female virtue and upbringing disappear.
Chu Jinjin knew her too well and quickly grabbed her arm.
With outsiders present, she couldn't reveal her true strength, which gave Liu a chance to break free. She pushed Chu Jinjin away forcefully and growled in a low voice, "Stay put. If the Xu family ruins my daughter's reputation, I'll ruin their son's."
Chu Jinjin was both amused and exasperated. Being divorced on her first day of marriage, even though her heart had long been calloused by the apocalypse, still left her feeling dejected.
An unreliable biological mother possesses the most ardent maternal love in the world.
Chu Jinjin exclaimed, "Mother, this is a good thing!"
As expected, Liu stopped struggling and asked blankly, "Ah, why is it a good thing?"
"Xu Wenda and I have not consummated our marriage; I am still a virgin." Chu Jinjin said this to her mother and to everyone else. "It's better to see the true colors of such a heartless man sooner rather than later, when I'm old and past my prime."
Chu Jingde nodded slowly, his gaze toward Chu Jinjin filled with approval: "It's wonderful that you think this way."
Generation after generation, with too many descendants, he couldn't possibly get to know each and every one of them.
However, Chu Jinjin really surprised him. He had thought she would cry and threaten to go on a hunger strike or something.
No wonder she is Zu Jian's most beloved daughter.
Chu Jingde raised his hand, signaling to leave.
Since the Xu family has done such a thing, they certainly won't offer any help. He needs to think of another way.
Chu Jinjin quickly called out, "Grandfather, how do you plan to save Father?"
Chu Yan was a little impatient and waved his hand: "Third sister, just wait for the news."
He was extremely disappointed; not only had he not found any help, but he had also gained an extra source of trouble.
The impact of Chu Jinjin's divorce was not limited to her; it affected the entire Chu family, especially her unmarried younger sister.
Chu Jinjin spoke to Chu Yan, but her eyes were on the old man: "Brother, Father's kidnapping by Black Eagle Mountain Village is no ordinary reason."
Chu Jingde's dark, cloudy old eyes suddenly brightened.
Chu Yan, however, did not grasp the meaning of those words and smiled faintly, "That's natural."
Kidnapping is definitely not for any ordinary reason, need I say more?
His father was kidnapped, and the family lost its pillar. Although he was the eldest son and the legitimate son, there were still his second and third sons.
Chu Yan glanced at his grandfather without showing any emotion and said in a deep voice, "A year ago, Lord Li's favorite concubine was kidnapped by Black Eagle Mountain Stronghold, and the ransom was 200,000 taels of silver."
The kidnappers were after money; he had checked the accounts and found that 200,000 taels of silver could be withdrawn at any time.
Chu Jinjin frowned: "Brother, Lord Li's family is different from ours. I'm afraid 200,000 taels won't solve the problem."
Robbers aren't shops where goods have fixed prices. That Lord Li's 200,000 taels was practically bankrupt, and he reportedly even borrowed money. The Chu family, on the other hand, is among the top ten richest merchants in the capital, and their wealth is definitely much greater than that.
This time, Chu Jingde's eyes lit up, and he gave Chu Jinjin a deep look.
He didn't have much of an impression of this granddaughter, only that she was his son's favorite. A few days before the wedding, he glanced at the dowry list and thought he was seeing things.
This is probably nothing more than a princess getting married.
What will the married granddaughters think?
The son smiled meaningfully and told him, "Father, Jin'er is worth it."
He didn't understand at the time, thinking that his son favored Liu Shi and extended that favor to her, but now he understands a little bit.
The eldest grandson's thinking was too simplistic.
How could the robbers only want 200,000 taels?
"Of course it's not that simple." In front of his grandfather, Chu Yan was a little annoyed by his half-sister's suspicion. He tried to be gentle and said, "Robbers are human too. Humans can reason. They can't just ask for an exorbitant price. Third sister, you should stay with Aunt Liu and wait for good news."
After saying that, he put on the air of an elder brother and comforted them, saying, "Once Father's matter is over, I will personally go to the Xu family to demand an explanation. Although my Chu family is not a prestigious family, it is not one that anyone can bully."
Chu Jinjin sighed softly: "Big brother, have you thought about what the robbers would do to Father if you bargained? A finger, an ear? Would you still dare to bargain?"
Chu Yan: "......."
Chu Jinjin actually hoped that this older brother could stand up for her, as she was a woman and it was inconvenient for her to appear in public.
"Does Jinjin have any good ideas?" Madam Wang gritted her teeth in anger. Both mother and daughter were vixens; one had bewitched the master, and the other had swindled the family's money. "Are we just going to let the robbers ask for exorbitant prices, millions, tens of millions, or even the entire Chu family's wealth?"
Chu Jinjin hated this kind of open and covert attack the most. She was just stating the facts. She straightened her body and met Chu Jingde's hawk-like eyes: "Black Eagle Mountain Stronghold has a mysterious background and various rumors, but it has always been self-sufficient and rarely robs others. In recent years, it has only kidnapped Lord Liu's beloved concubine."
Chu Jinjin returned to the previous topic: "If it's just about money, there are so many wealthy merchants in the capital, why my Chu family?"
Chu Yan finally caught up this time: "Third Sister means it's not for money, then what is it for?"
Chu Jinjin shook her head honestly: "I don't know."
She had analyzed this problem on the way, but had no clue what to do.
Wang couldn't help but sneer.
I thought they were going to reveal some earth-shattering truth, but in the end they just said they didn't know.
“But there’s one thing.” Chu Jinjin raised an eyebrow, revealing a hint of the aura of a female killing god from the apocalypse. “There’s a traitor.”
The father had brought more than two hundred servants and bodyguards, especially the bodyguards, each of whom was a highly skilled fighter capable of taking on ten men at once. If Black Eagle Mountain wanted to take it down and not let a single person escape, there would be at least a thousand men.
The father had five routes to choose from, and until the very end, no one but the father knew which way to go.
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