Chapter 540: 523

Lu Jiajie knew Lu Jiaxin had come back, so he went to find Lu Hongjun and asked him when they were going to Shichahai so he could follow along.

Lu Hongjun glanced at him and said, “Jiaxin doesn’t want you to go with Jiazong, I’ll go with your eldest brother and his family later.”

Lu Jiajie was confused, “She doesn’t want me to go with my second brother? Why?”

If there was really anger, it should lead to abandonment rather than putting in so much effort to bring someone back only to avoid them now, Lu Hongjun also didn’t understand what Lu Jiaxin was thinking.

Lu Hongjun said, “Anyway, since she doesn’t want you to go, just don’t go. Jiaxin is receptive to kindness, not force. If you go, she will be even angrier.”

Lu Jiajie remained silent.

The Second Sister-in-law Lu took Xiao Qiu with her and forbade Jiazong from following; before leaving, she even gave him a piece of her mind, “You don’t have the skill, yet your heart is so big. With those little schemes of yours, Jiaxin could see right through them.”

If it was just the matter of adoption, she might be able to explain, but having discontent kindled by a couple of words from Tang Sufen was an indelible stain. Forget it, she hadn’t planned on washing it away anyway; from now on, she would be the one calling the shots at home.

Upon arriving at Shichahai, the children gathered to play their games, while the adults didn’t bring up Lu Jiazong or Lu Jiajie. Instead, it was Lu Zhenzhen who broached the subject, “Auntie, why haven’t Fifth Uncle, Qiangqiang, and Xiao Feng arrived yet?”

In the past two years Qiangqiang and Xiao Feng often stayed at Lu Jiaguang’s house, and after spending so much time together, the children had formed a close bond. For gatherings like this, they always used to come together. It was almost dinner time and they still hadn’t arrived, so she thought they had been delayed.

Lu Jiaxin couldn’t be bothered to make up excuses and said, “Your Fifth Uncle owes me a lot of money. He can only come over once he’s paid back all he owes me.”

Lu Zhenzhen, puzzled, said, “He can only come after he’s paid back? Auntie, how much money did Fifth Uncle borrow from you?”

Lu Jiaxin didn’t hide the truth for Lu Jiajie’s sake and stated, “Two hundred and ten thousand greenbacks, which is equivalent to eight hundred thousand in Hua currency. The house your family is living in now is worth over one hundred and thirty thousand on the market. Figure it out yourself, how many sets of houses like yours could your Fifth Uncle buy with the money he owes me?”

In reality, spending thirty thousand greenbacks to bring Luo Guangyuan and Sun Qi home was a big bargain, considering the initial expenses were the substantial part. However, Lu Jiaxin really liked that seal and otherwise wouldn’t have involved herself in the matter.

Lu Zhenzhen was good at math, and after hearing what she said, she quickly calculated, “He could buy six houses like mine and still have money left over.”

She knew that it had cost over two hundred thousand greenbacks to bring Lu Jiajie home, but it had never felt as tangible as it did now. Especially for Lu Jiaguang and Wang Xiaojie, so many people envied them for living in such a big house, yet it was all lost because Lu Jiajie wouldn’t listen to advice.

After finishing her calculations, Lu Zhenzhen asked with wide eyes, “Auntie, what did Fifth Uncle do, why does he owe you so much money?”

Lu Jiaxin didn’t answer the question, “You can ask him the next time you see him.”

Lu Zhenzhen felt it probably wasn’t something good; otherwise, her parents’ faces wouldn’t look so grim.

After dinner, Lu Hongjun mentioned something to Lu Jiaxin, “Jiaxin, I’m thinking of going back to my hometown when spring comes. My health is failing more and more, and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to go back later if I don’t go soon?”

Lu Jiaxin considered for a moment and said, “Both your eldest brother and Shanzi are busy; they probably won’t have time to take you back after spring comes. How about waiting until summer break? Lu Ping and Lu An will have time during the summer holidays; they can accompany you then.”

Lu Hongjun didn’t want to go back during the summer break, it was too hot, “Doesn’t Madam Guh have many bodyguards here? Just pick someone to accompany me back.”

So he was waiting for her here. Lu Jiaxin glanced at him and said, “With your current health, do you think a bodyguard can take the responsibility of bringing you back alone? If something happens to you on the way, they can’t bear that responsibility.”

Lu Hongjun suggested, “Then let Jiazong come along.”

Lu Jiaxin looked at him deeply and said, “Since you don’t mind, naturally I don’t have a problem. When the time comes, have Zhang Kun accompany you back; he’s more attentive.”

Actually, the best candidate would have been Xing Ziyang, but he needed to help look after the house and protect Gu Xiuxiu; she didn’t quite trust the others.

Lu Hongjun nodded and then said, “Jiaxin, I’ll stay here tonight and go back tomorrow.”

He was very cautious when he spoke, which made Lu Jiaguang and the others’ eyelids twitch. They all had the same thought: If only you hadn’t done what you did in the past!

This time, Lu Jiaxin didn’t indulge him, and she said, “If you’re going back tomorrow morning, who knows what that woman will do next? Last time she instigated Second Brother, this time she might come straight to the door to hurl insults.”

Of course, should Tang Sufen dare to come over and curse her out, Lu Jiaxin would unhesitatingly send her on a half-month tour of the detention center, ensuring she would never forget it for the rest of her life.

Lu Hongjun was instantly stuck. The last time he stayed over for one night, he felt comfortable sleeping and enjoyed the food, so he wanted to relive that experience. He thought that since Lu Jiaxin’s attitude towards him wasn’t bad now, there shouldn’t be a problem, but Tang Sufen had pulled the rug out from under him.

Lu Jiaguang asked, “Jiaxin, when are you leaving?”

“I’ll leave tomorrow; there’s a pile of things to take care of in Hong Kong.”

Hearing this, Lu Jiaguang asked Wang Xiaojie to take the children and go back with Lu Hongjun first, as he had some matters he wanted to discuss with Lu Jiaxin. He had wanted to ask her a long time ago but held back due to the inconvenience of doing so over the phone.

Following Lu Jiaxin to the study, once they sat down, Lu Jiaguang asked, “Jiaxin, I heard that the newspapers in Hong Kong are promoting you as the richest woman there.”

Lu Jiaxin thought it was going to be something serious, “It’s just tabloid hype. Companies like that exaggerate to generate buzz and increase sales, that way they sell more newspapers and make more money.”

Lu Jiaguang said, “Jiaxin, it’s said that tall trees catch much wind. You don’t have any support in Hong Kong; you should be more careful, or you may draw unwanted attention again.”

It looked like they knew about her kidnapping.

Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, “Big Brother, there’s no need to worry. If any kidnappers dare to make a move, I’ll make sure they don’t return.”

Gu Wenfeng and Yan Yijun had found six more retired soldiers. Their documents had been processed before the year’s end, and they were currently in training. Of course, six wasn’t enough; she needed at least twenty bodyguards by her side so they could rotate duties when she went out.

Lu Jiaguang heard her response and felt that although the entertainment news might be exaggerated, Jiaxin must have indeed made a lot of money; otherwise, she wouldn’t speak with such authority.

Considering his nature, Lu Jiaxin said, “Big Brother, there’s a saying, ‘Three strikes and you’re out.’ Fifth Brother has treated my words as mere wind past his ears more than three times now. This time, I want not only the repayment of the 800,000 but also to deny him access to my connections and resources.”

Home appliances were very profitable at the moment, and Su Heming’s appliance factory produced electric fans, televisions, and refrigerators. If she wasn’t mistaken, Lu Jiajie must have planned to get into the home appliance business after recuperating. By blocking this path for Lu Jiajie, she was forcing him to rely on his own abilities to make money and repay the debt.

Lu Jiaguang was no fool; he understood instantly what she meant and hesitated before saying, “Jiaxin, do you really have to do this?”

Lu Jiaxin replied, “If I let these two hundred thousand plus in green currency simply vanish, he still wouldn’t learn his lesson. Big Brother, you shouldn’t give him any more assistance either. Otherwise, he will always act recklessly, feeling that someone will bail him out.”

“Big Brother, if you don’t listen to me and he causes trouble that drags you down in the future, I won’t be stepping in.”

Lu Jiaguang sighed and said nothing further.