Chapter 30
She frowned and said in a dull tone: "But I thought..."
Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Yin Su. His cold voice sounded again, hitting her like an ice cellar: "What do you think, Madam Jiang? Do you think I like you? Or have we reached the point where we can open our hearts to each other?"
"Mrs. Jiang is too self-indulgent."
"I have been cooperating with Madam Jiang's performance according to the contract, so I deliberately showed my deep affection and concern in front of outsiders. Madam Jiang, do you think I am attracted to you?"
"Let me put it this way, I won't fall in love with any woman."
"Including you."
Jiang Zhaoli's face suddenly turned pale, and his breathing suddenly stagnated. Was she being sentimental? Jiang Zhaoli pulled his lips and smiled through his tears: "So you did everything on purpose."
He treated her well on purpose, and even treated her well when no one was around. He watched her gradually fall in love with him, but he stared at her like a clown, throwing her self-esteem to the ground and crushing her hard.
Yin Su said calmly: "It was agreed upon from the beginning. There was no deliberate intention."
"Madam Jiang, you worry too much."
Yin Su stated expressionlessly: "As long as the three-year deadline has not expired, I will still cooperate with Madam Jiang in her performance. In the future, please don't have any inappropriate thoughts that would make it difficult for me."
Jiang Zhaoli took a breath and tried to push back the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She sniffed and said, "I know. I misunderstood. I won't do it again."
After saying that, Jiang Zhaoli turned around and left the house, passing him by.
Yin Su was bumped and looked solemn.
Looking at her leaving, she was calm and resolute, and never looked back once from beginning to end.
Yin Su pursed his lips tightly and watched Jiang Zhaoli leave without saying a word.
At 3 p.m., her grandfather sent someone to invite her.
Jiang Zhaoli was relaxing by the river. When Chuntao found her, she was bent over and panting. Jiang Zhaoli rubbed her cheeks, pressed her sore eyes, smiled at the blue sky, patted her cheeks again, and took the lead to walk up the stairs: "Let's go."
By then, Third Aunt and Third Uncle, Second Aunt and Second Uncle, as well as Mu Niang who sells bean soup and her daughter Ya Ya would all be there.
"Second girl, why do you look so bad?" asked the grandfather.
Jiang Zhaoli shook his head: "No, on the way here just now, a small insect got into my eye. I thought that my grandfather had something to say, so I came here quickly."
Grandfather nodded and said, "I called you here today to tell you something. From today on, I will take over all the shops under the Third Brother's control."
Third Uncle looked up in shock. He was usually taciturn, but for the first time he lost control and said, "Dad."
Grandfather snorted coldly, "Don't call me, Third Brother. I have been stricter with the eldest and second brothers than with you since they were young. I was afraid that if I punished you too severely, it would hurt our father-son relationship. I thought the second brother was useless, and I gave up hope a long time ago. How could you do such a ridiculous thing now?"
"You were the one who insisted on marrying me back then. Although your mother and I didn't want to, we followed your lead. But now that you've done this, you feel guilty about your original choice."
Upon hearing this, the second uncle complained to his wife in dissatisfaction: "Dad is really something. If you want to scold my third brother, just scold him. Why did you involve me?"
"By the way, did Third Brother really do such a stupid thing?"
Third Aunt sneered, "Of course it's true. Didn't you see the kneeling woman and the child? The evidence is irrefutable. No wonder I saw Third Sister-in-law looked unhappy a few days ago, and Li'er lied to me that she was tired from shopping."
Grandfather glanced at the two of them and said, "If you two don't want to hear it, get out."
Second Aunt nudged Second Uncle with her arm, and Second Uncle immediately made a gesture to cover his mouth.
Uncle San said sadly: "Dad, I just want a child. I have done nothing wrong to Alan."
Grandfather frowned, "It's already been done, you have to admit it. What did you say when you married Alan? What did I tell you, and how much did you listen to? Since you wanted a child, why didn't you just marry a woman who could give birth? You were willing to fight against me and marry Alan, so now you have to be responsible for her."
Uncle San was so ashamed that he clenched his fists: "I...I..."
Grandfather pondered and said, "Also, for the things you did behind my back, I didn't hand you over to the Criminal Division because I still consider you my son. Don't think that everything will be fine after today. If Guo Daoquan betrays you, do you think you will not be imprisoned? Tax evasion is a serious crime in our country."
Uncle San's face was pale, and his body couldn't stop shaking: "Dad... you... you know everything."
He spoke in a hoarse voice: "I didn't want to compete with Li'er. I know I'm not worthy. I'm not Dad's biological child. I just feel a little unwilling. I don't want Dad to hand over such a big Jiang Mansion to a woman like Li'er. I think Dad doesn't think highly of me and thinks I'm not worthy."
Grandfather: "Since you said no, what about the tax assassination? If Yin Su hadn't arrived in time, would you still be able to see the second girl now? Don't tell me that Guo Daoquan instigated the person. Do you dare to say that you didn't have any hand in it?"
"She is your niece. You don't know how your elder brother treated you when he was alive. Are you doing this to your elder brother?"
Uncle San's face turned slightly pale: "I was bewildered for a moment..."
Grandfather sighed: "Third brother, you can do this because you have never considered me as a member of the Jiang family."
"The Jiang family was always managed by the eldest brother. It's not that I'm partial to him. When the three of you competed and made a profit, the eldest brother won. I told you at the time that whoever won the competition would have priority in the inheritance. You didn't take it seriously, and now you're complaining. Many of the new fabrics in the workshop were carefully researched by the eldest brother. The second girl has the eldest brother's talent, so naturally she has to be the one."
Uncle San replied in a muffled voice: "I know all this, Dad."
At this time, Yaya said in a crisp voice: "Are you grandpa? Can you please stop calling my daddy?"
Grandfather's eyes fell on Yaya for a moment. She had double buns on her hair and was wearing a linen dress. Her pair of round eyes as big as grapes were looking at him timidly.
The old man said nothing. The little girl's whereabouts were still a problem.
Regardless of whether Alan would agree to let this girl marry him, he would not agree either. It was not because he was cruel, but because he took into consideration Alan's current situation. When the third brother proposed to Alan, he personally swore to Alan's parents that he would never take a concubine in his life. He and the old woman were both present at that time.
It is absolutely impossible to ask him to allow the third son to take a concubine now.
Grandfather looked at Mu Niang who was silent, frowned and asked: "Are you Yaya's mother?"
Mu Niang nodded and held Yayalou tighter: "Yes."
The old man asked tentatively: "What do you think if I leave Yaya in the mansion?"
Mu Niang was nervous for a moment: "Replying to the old man, I must stay with Yaya. She...she can't leave me."
Grandfather narrowed his eyes and asked pointedly, "Do you mean that you want to stay in the mansion with Yaya?"
"Yaya is the blood of the Jiang family, what are you?"
Uncle San watched this scene but did not say anything to stop it. He never loved Mu Niang. He only cared about Alan and his daughter Yaya. You know, when Yaya was just born, he wanted to take her home to raise her, but Mu Niang refused. That's why it has been delayed until now. Now, five years have passed in a blink of an eye. Yaya is getting older and older, but Mu Niang still refuses to let her go.
If Dad could take Yaya back now, he would not have to bother asking Mu Niang for help.
Mu Niang's face turned pale and panic flashed in her eyes. She looked at her Third Uncle for help, but her Third Uncle ignored her and remained unmoved.
Mu Niang gritted her teeth and made up her mind: "Since the old man doesn't agree, then I will take Yaya with me and leave. The world is so big that there is a place for us mother and daughter to stay."
The old man snorted, "A place to stay? Over the years, the third brother has secretly given you a lot of money. Do you think you earned it by yourself?"
"Today I give you a choice. Either you leave Yaya in the mansion and leave by yourself, or you two leave together."
Uncle San said anxiously: "Father."
Grandfather glared at him and said, "Shut up. How dare you talk like that? You are the one who caused all this trouble."
Mu Niang burst into tears immediately and hugged Ya Ya, refusing to let go. Seeing this, Ya Ya hugged Mu Niang back and said in a muffled voice: "Grandpa, please don't chase Mother away."
"Yaya wants to be with mom and dad, please don't separate us."
Second Aunt laughed, put one hand on her waist, and pointed at Third Aunt: "What family? Did you see that sister? She and your father are a family. You and your mother are outsiders."
Yaya glared at him, tears welling up in her eyes: "You're lying."
Uncle San felt distressed when he saw this. He took two or three steps forward and held Yaya in his arms. He wiped away her tears distressedly: "Don't cry, Yaya. She lied to you."
Mu Niang said: "Old man, you can see that Yaya can't live without me, and even more so with his father."
"Don't worry, I won't disturb the Third Madam after I enter the mansion. I don't want anything else. Now I just want to raise Yaya."
The implication is that she wants to enter the mansion.
Jiang Zhaoli chuckled. This woman looked gentle and intelligent, but she was short-sighted and didn't see deeply enough to understand what her grandfather meant.
Grandfather had never intended to let the mother and daughter enter the house.
It was just a test just now. Obviously, the old man's test was successful. The woman just wanted to stay in the mansion.
She doesn't have to speak to others in a high-minded manner and use her children as an excuse.
Grandfather: "In that case, you should take the child away and leave Luocheng. Then, I will give you a sum of money, enough for you and Yaya to live for the rest of your life."
Mu Niang was stunned and bit her lip. She didn't understand whether what the old man said was true or not. Who would be willing to abandon their own bloodline, especially a big family like the Jiang family?
Mu Niang spoke again: "Old man, isn't it too cruel for Yaya to do this? Yaya has always liked to be close to her father and doesn't want to be separated from her father."
Grandfather: "Whether you are willing or not is not up to you to decide with a child. You have already made our Jiang family so chaotic, and now you want to enter the mansion? Didn't you just say that the world is so big that there is a place for you to stay, so why are you fulfilling your wish now? You don't want to?"
Mu Niang's face turned pale and blue, but she could not refute.
Third Aunt was touched. She had always thought that the old man had a grudge against her and always ignored her. But now that the old man was on her side, Third Aunt was surprised and touched.
Uncle San looked anxious: "Dad, Yaya..."
Grandfather said sternly, "If you say another word, you will go with them."
Uncle San immediately shut up. He knew that the old man always kept his word.
The grandfather called Fu Guanjia in and whispered a few words to him, and Fu Guanjia immediately went to get one thousand taels of silver.
Seeing this, Mu Niang turned pale and said, "Old man, what do you mean? Do you still not agree that Yaya and I should stay?"
Grandfather: "I never intended to let you into the mansion. Do you think the Jiang family's door is so easy to enter? Anyone can come. Don't think that you can threaten the Jiang family by giving birth to a child? I'm not saying that I'm 100% sure when it comes to judging people, but I'm 90% sure."
After the last sentence, everyone understood that the old man did not say it too firmly and left her some face.
Second Aunt stared with sour eyes, one thousand taels of silver! !
She had been saving for more than ten years, but still didn't have this much money. It was enough for her to live for two lifetimes. The old man was really generous. If it were her, he would have just kicked her out. There was no way she would have gotten the money, and she still looked so unsatisfied.
Mu Niang's body went limp and she collapsed to the ground.
She looked at her uncle with pleading eyes: "A Ping."
"Come with us, Yaya can't live without you."
As long as Jiang Zhiping is willing, they can take the money and open a shop on the street and still live a good life.
There was a flash of struggle in the eyes of the Third Uncle: "I won't leave. You take the child away and treat Yaya well in the future."
Mu Niang couldn't believe it: "Jiang Zhiping, how could you do this to me."
Uncle San: "You told me at the beginning that you would not get too entangled and just wanted to give me a child. What does this mean now? Besides, I can't leave Alan."
Mu Niang's tears slowly flowed down her cheeks, and she asked in a questioning tone: "Is she more important than Yaya?"
Jiang Zhiping said without hesitation: "Yes, Alan is my life. I want a child for her. You know all this, so why bother asking me?"
Mu Niang laughed crazily and stopped talking. At this time, Fu Guan's family brought a stack of money and handed it to the kneeling Mu Niang. Mu Niang took a look at it, took the money and stuffed it into her arms, then pulled Ya Ya away.
Yaya looked back three times along the way, looking at Jiang Zhiping with a face full of reluctance.
"You were so dismissive just now, but now you take the money so quickly." Aunt San couldn't help but mutter.
The old man said impatiently: "That's enough, my ears hurt from all the noise, don't mention this again in the future, if you have nothing else to do, you can go first, as for Zhiping, you'd better pray that Guo Daoquan won't give you away, if you are arrested, don't expect me to rescue you."
"And the second child, the eldest girl will be getting married soon. You should also act like a father and prepare the necessary things. You should work harder for her."
"Yes, yes, don't worry, Dad. We two never forget about it and are working hard." The second uncle agreed repeatedly, fearing that the old man would involve him in his anger.
Grandfather nodded and glanced at everyone present: "Remember, today is a family matter and it cannot be spread outside."
Everyone agreed.
After watching his second aunt and second uncle leave, Jiang Zhaoli spoke up: "Grandfather, Li'er has something to say."
"Since you have taken back Uncle San's shop, you have to make arrangements for these shops. Why not let Aunt San take care of them?"
Grandfather hesitated. He had never thought of these shops as belonging to his third daughter-in-law: "…your third aunt may not understand these things."
Jiang Zhaoli glanced at Third Aunt and smiled knowingly: "If you don't understand, you can learn. I believe Third Aunt has the heart to do so."
Grandfather thought for a moment, looked at his third uncle, and agreed. Well, these shops would be considered compensation for his third daughter-in-law.
Jiang Zhaoli left with his third aunt, and his third uncle was left alone by his grandfather. His grandfather must have wanted to talk to him alone about his third uncle's pursuit of profit, tax evasion, and instigation of others to harm their loved ones, so as to save his face.
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