Chapter 51 An Outsider with Impure Bloodline
Night falls at the Lu family's old residence.
Lu Jinyuan and Jiang Qingying returned home together after work. When they entered, the restaurant was full of people, with two empty seats next to Lu Qicheng, who was sitting in the main seat.
They were the last to arrive, but they showed no remorse whatsoever, since everyone present relied on Lu Jinyuan's earnings and dividends for their livelihood.
Lu Jinyuan always had a cold expression, but Jiang Qingying was far more adept at coaxing elders than he was. She ran to Su Xi, squatted down beside her, and gave her the prepared tonics, "Grandma, how have you been feeling lately?"
"I'm fine." Su Xi liked this granddaughter-in-law very much. What she valued most about Jiang Qingying was the resilience and independence that he lacked. After not seeing her for a long time, she naturally had to take a good look at her. After a moment, she said with dissatisfaction, "Why do you look thinner? And your complexion isn't good either."
She then turned to Lu Jinyuan and questioned him, "Jinyuan, have you been taking good care of your wife?"
Lu Jinyuan said calmly, with a half-smile, "Grandma, you should ask her if she's eaten properly."
Jiang Qingying stiffened. Why was she complaining? She hadn't eaten much at noon. She first reassured the old woman, "I haven't lost weight. I wear thick clothes in winter, so my flesh is all covered up."
Su Xi pinched her cheek and said affectionately, "Then eat more later and make sure you get some nourishment."
"Okay." Jiang Qingying obediently agreed, stood up, and glared at Lu Jinyuan with her back to Su Xi.
Lu Jinyuan smiled and put his arm around her slender waist, leading her to a seat.
Tonight is just a regular family dinner. Nobody strictly adheres to the rigid rules of not speaking while eating or sleeping. People will still chat quietly for a while during the meal.
Kids talk about their studies, adults talk about their careers and marriages, and married people talk about having children.
As expected, when the conversation turned to Lu Jinyuan and Jiang Qingying, having children became the hottest topic. The two were well-prepared, and under the expectant gazes of Lu Qicheng and Su Xi, Lu Jinyuan coldly announced: "We have plans, no rush."
The first half of the sentence was used to comfort the two elderly people, while the second half was used to warn others not to meddle.
Neither of them were easy to deal with. Since the protagonist had spoken, the atmosphere fell into a brief silence, and the sensible person immediately changed the subject.
Jiang Qingying glanced at the person next to her, not expecting to be caught. Meeting his gaze, she whispered, "I want to go out for some fresh air."
"It's cold outside," Lu Jinyuan said, seemingly disagreeing.
Jiang Qingying insisted, "But it's so stuffy here."
Under Su Xi's watchful eye, she ate a lot tonight, and her stomach was so full that she felt uncomfortable. In winter, the windows were small, the restaurant was crowded, and the oxygen supply was insufficient. The warm air made her cheeks flush pink.
Lu Jinyuan ran the back of his hand over her cheek; it wasn't very hot, but it looked healthy and her complexion was much rosier. "Shall I stay with you?"
"No need, it wouldn't be right for you not to be at the family dinner." Jiang Qingying glanced around and prepared to get up. "Please explain to my grandparents for me."
"Okay, don't go too far, come back soon."
"knew."
Jiang Qingying quietly left the restaurant and wandered aimlessly in the back garden. When she got tired, she sat down on the white swing and breathed in the fresh air for a while. She felt comfortable and relaxed, and even though the evening breeze was a little chilly, she felt sleepy after sitting for a long time.
She'd rather be out in the breeze than be inside facing a group of masked people. Apart from Lu Qicheng and Su Xi, she didn't want to give a smile to anyone else.
She was looking down at her phone when a dark shadow suddenly fell over her. She looked up and met Li Wanjun's angry gaze. "Is there something you need?"
Not surprised to see Li Wanjun, whose voice was indifferent and devoid of warmth, she didn't even address her as an elder.
Li Wanjun glared at her with bloodshot eyes, her teeth clenched in anger, and demanded, "Did you do something to my family?"
Jiang Qingying sneered, her eyes turning colder than the outdoor temperature with each glance. "Where's the evidence?"
"The evidence is that Zeng Le has been in contact with you." Li Wanjun was no longer afraid of others knowing what she had done; anger had clouded her judgment. "You betrayed your own family for the sake of an outsider."
"So?" Jiang Qingying remained seated on the swing, her toes barely touching the ground, gently rocking back and forth, seemingly enjoying herself immensely. "So you care about me this much, huh? You even arranged for someone to monitor my every move. Well then, let's discuss this: Is Zeng Le really involved in the Li family's illegal activities? Or did I instigate the Li family to break the law? Do we really need to teach someone such a simple principle as paying the price for their actions?"
"You have quite the nerve. Don't think I wouldn't dare do anything to you." Li Wanjun still maintained an arrogant demeanor.
Jiang Qingying stood up, overwhelming her with her absolute height advantage, "Even your husband wouldn't dare do anything to me, do you?"
"Ah! Ahhh!" Li Wanjun suddenly went berserk, grabbing Jiang Qingying's shoulders tightly and shaking her violently, muttering incoherently, "You ruined my family, your husband ruined my husband, you'll die a horrible death..."
Jiang Qingying frowned, her eardrums almost bursting from Li Wanjun's scream. She didn't know why Li Wanjun was using so much force, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free from her grip. Her shoulders felt like they were about to be crushed, and a sharp pain shot through her.
She couldn't take it anymore and slapped Li Wanjun across the face, her expression tense: "Stop acting crazy, go back to where you came from!"
Jiang Qingying used almost all her strength in that slap. Li Wanjun was stunned by the sudden slap, and after she came to her senses, she pushed her to the ground.
"Ah...ss..." Jiang Qingying subconsciously braced her hands on the ground, her right palm scraped raw by the cement, throbbing with excruciating pain. "You're crazy."
Li Wanjun seemed to be provoked by those three words and immediately tried to rush over and pin her down, but she was restrained after taking only half a step. She turned to look at her husband and angrily shouted at him, "Why are you stopping me? I'm going to beat this bitch to death!"
Jiang Qingying rolled her eyes to the sky. Just as she was about to get up, she was embraced from behind by a warm hug. Her nostrils were instantly filled with the warm scent of fir. When she turned around, she saw Lu Jinyuan's face, which was as cold as ice. His red lips parted slightly as he murmured his name: "Lu Jinyuan".
"I'm here." Lu Jinyuan's brows furrowed into a deep frown as he gently helped her up, checking her over from head to toe. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
Jiang Qingying shook her head and glanced at the group of people following behind him. Apart from Lu Qicheng and Su Xi, who were senior members of the family, everyone else was there. They must have heard Li Wanjun's outburst from inside and rushed over.
Li Wanjun's hands and feet were restrained by Lu Yunsong, but she still cursed at Jiang Qingying, which was really grating to hear.
Jiang Qingying was about to speak when the man supporting her spoke first, his deep, cold voice coming from beside her, "Second Aunt, be careful what you say."
She glanced at Lu Jinyuan's face, which was bathed in the night. He rarely showed his emotions, and it was difficult to discern them in the dim light, but she could tell that he was angry.
Moreover, it was an uncontrollable anger and rage.
Li Wanjun tried desperately to break free from her husband's control, yelling in a hoarse voice, "You want me to be careful what I say? Who do you think you are? You're an outsider whose bloodline isn't even pure, what right do you have?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingying was in a terrible mood and wanted to slap her again with her numb hand, but thinking of the people behind her, she then said in a majestic manner, "Second Aunt is not in a good mental state. I suggest that she go to the ancestral home to recuperate for a while."
The Lu family's residence was not in Nanzhou, but in a remote small county town. To put it nicely, it was a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains, and to put it bluntly, it was a desolate, godforsaken mountain.
After their ancestors started their business, they built and improved the ancestral hall in their residence, which was usually guarded by someone. According to the Lu family rules, anyone who committed a serious offense had to go there to repent and reform.
This was the first time Jiang Qingying, in her capacity as the matriarch of the Lu family, had punished anyone.
After a long silence, Lu Yunsong finally spoke, "Qingying, I don't think it's that bad."
On the surface, Li Wanjun had only pushed Jiang Qingying, but in front of so many people, those who didn't know the inside story naturally felt it was unreasonable.
"Really? Second Uncle, you should know best why I punished Second Aunt like this." Jiang Qingying showed no mercy. "If anyone thinks I handled things improperly, just go and say it to the old man."
Lu Yunsong gritted his teeth, desperately covering his wife's mouth, afraid that she might say something else. "How long will you be gone?"
Jiang Qingying: "One year."
Lu Jinyuan: "Three years."
Jiang Qingying looked at him, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. Seeing that he didn't say anything more and didn't intend to stay and argue with Lu Yunsong and the other person, she wisely remained silent.
Lu Yunsong grabbed Lu Jinyuan's arm, trying to plead for his wife, but before he could say anything, his hand was shaken off, leaving him with only a chilling expression.
Lu Jinyuan's cold eyes held a bloodthirsty ruthlessness:
"Second Uncle, I've already given you face."
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