Chapter 24 Let's Roll Together

Ding Jing really didn't expect Lu Jiaxin to lay a hand on her. No matter what, she was an elder, and to lift a hand against her would lead to criticism. Sobbing, she clung to Lu Hongjun and cried out, "Old Lu, Old Lu, I've lost all my dignity."

Seeing her like this almost made the other members of the Lu family vomit.

Lu Jiaxin was having none of it; she shouted, "If you don't want to live, then go die! Hang yourself, bash your head against the wall, throw yourself into the river—heck, if that doesn't work, there's always swallowing gold. Rest assured, once you're dead, I'll make your funeral a grand, lively event and give you a splendid send-off."

Lu Hongjun angrily retorted, "Lu Jiaxin, do you realize what you've just said?"

Crying, making a scene, threatening suicide—these ploys were just what Lu Hongjun liked. Lu Jiaxin quickly stepped to the corner and grabbed a stick as thick as a baby's arm.

Seeing her about to strike, Ding Jing hid behind Lu Hongjun, shivering with fear.

Lu Hongjun blocked Lu Jiaxin, saying, "She's your stepmother, your elder. How could you raise your hand against her?"

Lu Jiajie wanted to step forward but was stopped by Lu Jiaguang. The sisters-in-law, seeing that a conflict was starting, called the children inside the house to prevent them from coming out. With her brothers there, Jiaxin wouldn't be at a disadvantage.

With eyes red with rage, Lu Jiaxin said, "The Family Housing apartment is yours, and who stays there is for you to decide—it's none of my business. But this house left to me by my mother, I won't allow this vile woman to set foot in here—one step."

Feeling Ding Jing trembling violently, Lu Hongjun sternly shouted, "Jiaguang, Jiajie, aren't you going to stop her?"

Lu Jiaguang said, "Third Uncle, I think Xinxin is right. She has dirtied this place."

Ding Jing's face distorted with anger.

Lu Jiaxin wasn't the same person and had been tolerant because of her respect for her father. Now she retorted furiously, "Lu Hongjun, you and that woman can get out."

Lu Jiaguang frowned but ultimately remained silent.

Lu Hongjun couldn't believe his ears, "What—what did you say?"

Lu Jiaxin glared at him and enunciated loudly and deliberately, "I said, you take her and get out of here."

If it was a private tantrum, he could be understanding, but being disregarded in front of so many people, Lu Hongjun felt his authority was being challenged, "Lu Jiaxin, are you insane? I'm your father; how dare you speak to me like this?"

Lu Jiaxin sneered, "I was almost killed by that mother-daughter duo, and you act like nothing's happened? Dad, Lu Hongjun, do you even deserve to be called that?"

Before, she'd been courteous with him, thinking they might do business together and she might need him. But now that Lu Hongjun had crossed her bottom line, she'd rather sever ties than suffer any indignity.

Lu Hongjun, incensed, raised his hand to hit Lu Jiaxin, but before his hand could fall, Lu Jiaguang interfered. He tried to push Lu Jiaguang away to no avail and roared, "Stand back; today I have to teach her a lesson, or she'll turn the heaven upside down in the future."

Lu Jiaguang also thought Lu Jiaxin was being too impulsive, but this wasn't the time to say it, "Third Uncle, Xinxin is a grown girl; if she does something wrong, you should talk it through. How can you raise your hand against her?"

Lu Hongjun had been injured on the battlefield and this affected his ability to have children. Medical tests had indicated he had a minimal chance of having kids, so after being married for seven years and Mrs. Lu became pregnant, he was overwhelmed with joy. After the child was born, he doted on her, as if she was fragile as glass, precious as if she might melt away. Mrs. Lu, by comparison, was stricter.

Before Mrs. Lu passed away, she begged Liao Xiangmei and the brothers Lu Jiaguang to look after her daughter. Everyone understood her maternal heart and thought that Lu Hongjun would take good care of the child, being his only one. But in less than a year, Lu Hongjun remarried, and his attitude towards his daughter changed drastically. Lu Jiaguang had advised him several times, but to no avail. Now that his sister could stand up for herself, he naturally sided with her.

Having exposed their true feelings, Lu Jiaxin didn't hold back, "Teach me a lesson? And what right do you have to teach me? When Mom was dying, she asked that you not remarry until I had finished college entrance exams, and you agreed. Yet within a year, you were married."

"When my mother was around, everyone praised me as smart, adorable, and well-behaved; but within less than two years of that woman entering our door, I was branded as a lazy, bad-tempered, and terrible example. And that wasn't even enough for that mother-daughter pair; one tried to seduce Fan Yinuo to prevent me from concentrating on my college entrance exams, while the other drugged my food. They did these things to ruin me."

"Lu Hongjun, if you had kept your promise to Mom and had not remarried before my exams, I would be attending a prestigious university by now with a bright future ahead. What about now? I've moved here by myself, drinking that bitter medicinal soup daily, with my future uncertain."

Her parents were both college students from the '80s, who fell in love and got married after meeting at university. However, her father grew dissatisfied with his low salary and stopped his paid job to go into business when she was in the first grade, while her mother continued to teach at school.

At first, things were fine, and although they occasionally argued, they were a happy family. But over time, they couldn't reconcile their differences. One was in business, dealing with all kinds of people daily, and the other longed for a life of poetry and picturesque beauty. They grew increasingly incompatible.

As the conflicts deepened, they realized they could no longer live together. At the time, she was in junior high school. Concerned about affecting her, the couple decided not to discuss divorce until she'd gotten into university.

After she successfully entered university, they honestly discussed the matter with her. They assured her it wasn't that they didn't love her, but they simply couldn't live together anymore. She was deeply upset at the time but still respected their decision.

After their divorce, both parties had since established new families, yet the love he had for her hadn't diminished by a fraction, and the money he gave was more than sufficient.

These words tore Lu Hongjun's face right off.

Lu Jiaxin, looking coldly at Ding Jing who was hiding behind Lu Hongjun, said coldly, "Ding Jing, you've ruined my reputation, destroyed my future, and nearly cost me my life. Now you come here to drive a wedge between me and my father, turning us against each other. I have recorded every single score, and in the future, I will make you and your daughter pay it all back with interest."

Ding Jing, seeing her fierce eyes, suddenly regretted coming here. She hadn't planned on it, but her daughter had been crying at home continuously. Thinking about her daughter suffering so much while Lu Jiaxin was celebrating her housewarming, she felt indignant. If life was hard for her and her daughter, Lu Jiaxin should not expect comfort either.

Lu Jiaguang stood beside Lu Jiaxin and said, "Third Uncle, please take her away now!"

He knew the hatred between the two sides was unresolvable, which was why he had agreed that Xinxin should move out; otherwise, there was no way he would feel at ease letting his little sister live outside alone. Yet despite them giving way, this venomous woman still would not stop.

Lu Hongjun knew that if the argument continued, it would only make him more embarrassed, so with a dark face, he grabbed Ding Jing and left. No sooner had he stepped out the door than Lu Jiaxin closed it behind them, almost making him spew blood in anger.

With the eyesore gone, Lu Jiaxin's mood improved. She asked Lu Jiajie, who was standing at the kitchen door, "Jiajie, I think I smell something burning."

Lu Jiajie shouted and rushed into the kitchen, only to see that the soup he had been simmering had burned away, and the meat had turned black.

Since many dishes were prepared for the day, spoiling one was no big deal. Lu Jiajie cleaned the pot and continued cooking the other dishes.

With such a commotion, no one really had much of an appetite.

Once all the dishes were served, Lu Jiaxin poured herself a glass of wine, stood up, and addressed Jiaguang and the others, "Big Brother, Sister-in-law, Fifth Brother, Fifth Sister-in-law, thank you. If it hadn't been for your care these past few years, I might have been dead by now."

If not for her two brothers keeping watch, Ding Jing would have caused trouble long ago, not waiting until now.

Wang Xiaojie felt a stab of sourness in her heart. When Third Aunt was alive, this girl had been carefree, but now she had been forced into this situation. A motherless child is like a piece of grass; fortunately, this child had become strong and knew how to look out for herself.

Lu Jiajie, trying to ease the tension, said, "Jiaxin, Third Uncle is just temporarily blinded by that woman. He'll come around when he sees sense."

Actually, if it were him, he might also have lashed out, too damn shameless.

Ma Lili thought Lu Jiaxin was too impulsive and advised, "Jiaxin, that woman is hateful, but causing a scene with Third Uncle like this will only hurt you. Let it go this time, but don't do it again in the future."

If they angered Third Uncle, he might cut off all support, just what that venomous woman wanted.

Lu Jiaxin had no intention of taking any more trouble from Lu Hongjun. She said, "Fifth Sister-in-law, I know you mean well. But as you saw, it's not me who's making trouble; it's that venomous woman always using him to harass me."

"Big Sister-in-law, Fifth Sister-in-law, don't worry about me. Even if Lu Hongjun doesn't provide for me, I could set up a stall with Xue Mao and still support myself."

Lu Jiaguang, frowning, said, "Jiaxin, Third Uncle has indeed gone too far, but he is your father, and that fact won't change. By addressing him in such a manner, others who hear it might accuse you of being unfilial. A ruined reputation could affect your future."

Lu Jiaxin didn't want to argue about it with Lu Jiaguang, as the prevailing notion was still that all parents had their children's best interests at heart. She said, "Big Brother, tell him he has provided for me for fifteen years. Should there come a day when he's so old that he can't move and has no one to care for him, I will arrange for someone to look after him. Until then, there should be no contact between us; if he falls ill from rage, he has only himself to blame."

Lu Jiaguang wanted to persuade her, but the words wouldn't come out.

Wang Xiaojie, with a smile, said, "Let's not talk anymore; the dishes are getting cold. Come on, Jiaxin, have some lion's head meatballs. I remember it's your favorite dish."

"Thank you, Big Sister-in-law."

Although Wang Xiaojie and Lu Jiajie tried their best to lighten the mood, the meal was still very subdued. After they had cleaned up the kitchen and the dishes, the two brothers left with their families.

When Lu Jiajie was leaving, he made sure to remind them to lock the door properly behind them. He planned to come over in the evening, but in case something unexpected came up, he might not be able to make it.

Lu Jiaxin knew he was worried about her and said with a smile, "Brother, don't worry, Xue Mao and I won't go wandering around recklessly."

Security outside was already tightening, and although many people had not realized how serious it was, the smart ones knew not to bump into the Wooden Granary and were laying low to avoid the storm. However, those who liked to show off their toughness did not know how to restrain themselves. Lu Jiaxin was also worried about this and had been firmly suppressing Xue Mao's urge to set up a stall.