Xu Jingjing’s gentle smile froze instantly, and a trace of resentment and unwillingness flashed quickly in the depths of her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.
She forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, her voice still weak: “Sister, you’ve misunderstood. Mom and Dad… they didn’t raise their voices at you, it’s just… they were just too tired from counting all this stuff, and they were a little upset.”
“Is that so?” Xu Xiangsi scoffed, her gaze slowly sweeping over the several boxes that had been ransacked, as well as the pieces of clothing and jewelry scattered on the ground.
“My mother married into the Xu family with a grand dowry, so naturally she left behind a lot of good things. How could she not be exhausted from working so hard to ‘inventory’ everything and rack her brains to make it all her own!”
Upon hearing this, Xu Rongchang’s face fell even more, and his eyebrows furrowed into a knot.
“Did you take some kind of gunpowder today?!” he shouted angrily, his spittle almost landing on Xu Xiangsi’s face.
“Who provoked you and you’re throwing a tantrum again! Don’t forget, your grandfather has already been sent to the countryside! Who are you trying to impress with your capitalist princess attitude!”
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiangsi’s face showed even more sarcasm, and even a hint of sadness.
“How could I forget? After all, after my grandfather was sent to the countryside, your attitude towards me, and that good wife of yours, did a complete 180-degree turn! They just thought I had no backing, that I was easy to bully, and that they could manipulate me at will!”
Xu Xiangsi was much smarter than the foolish original owner of this body; she could guess what kind of wicked scheme this family was up to with just a glance.
It’s estimated that they had already planned this from the day they prepared to go to Hong Kong, intending for Xu Jingjing to take her place and marry Song Shengze!
After all, compared to the original owner of this body, who had a bad reputation and was “unruly and willful,” Xu Jingjing was Lin Jiaoyan’s own daughter, and she knew how to play the innocent little lotus, appearing “obedient and sensible,” didn’t she?
Xu Rongchang was speechless with anger at her words, his face turned ashen, and his hand trembled as he pointed at her. He was about to burst into a tirade and teach this arrogant and rebellious daughter a lesson.
Xu Xiangsi, however, did not give him the chance at all and spoke leisurely.
“I’m not as heartless as you. My grandfather is old and was sent to that kind of place. I can’t bear to leave him, so I’m not going to Hong Kong.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Rongchang immediately became agitated!
“You’re not going?!” His voice rose eight octaves, almost screaming.
“If you don’t go to Hong Kong, what will happen to your engagement with Song Shengze?! That was arranged for you by your maternal grandfather! How will you explain it to the Song family?!”
Xu Xiangsi curled her lips into a meaningful smile, “Easy.”
She glanced lazily at Xu Jingjing, who had been silent but whose ears were perked up, and who was nervously twisting her fingers.
“Dad, haven’t you always said that your stepdaughter Xu Jingjing is more obedient, more sensible, and more filial than me, her own daughter? In that case,” Xu Xiangsi drawled, “why don’t you just let her marry Song Shengze?”
As soon as she said that, Xu Xiangsi clearly saw that Lin Jiaoyan and Xu Jingjing’s eyes lit up at the same time!
Especially Lin Jiaoyan, whose smile was so wide it was almost impossible for her to suppress it, she wasn’t even acting anymore!
This mother and daughter had been looking forward to this day for a long time!
Xu Jingjing was the first to react. She quickly lowered her head, clutching the hem of her clothes, and put on a pitiful, tearful expression. “Sister, how could you say that? I… how could I steal your fiancé? That won’t do… Mr. Song likes you too…”
Xu Xiangsi was so disgusted by her hypocritical face that she almost vomited.
Song Shengze probably hasn’t even forgotten what the original owner of this body looks like!
She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and waved her hand dismissively.
“How can you call it robbery?” She looked at Xu Jingjing with a smile, but there was no smile in her eyes. “Let’s just say that I, as the older sister, am ‘selling’ this marriage to you!”
When the word “sell” was uttered, both Xu Rongchang and Lin Jiaoyan were stunned for a moment.
Xu Xiangsi paused, observing the sudden change in the expressions of the three people, and continued unhurriedly, “You know, I can’t bear to leave my grandfather, so I definitely have to stay. Even if there’s no other way in the end, I’ll have to go to the countryside, try to go somewhere as close to my grandfather as possible, so that I can at least take care of him.”
“But,” she changed the subject, her tone becoming somewhat matter-of-fact, “I’m a young woman, going to the countryside all alone, unfamiliar with the place and the people. I need to have some means to make a living, right? You all went to Hong Kong in style to live a life of luxury with my fiancé, you can’t expect me to be left here eating chaff and drinking the northwest wind, can you? It doesn’t make sense, either emotionally or logically!”
Xu Rongchang and Lin Jiaoyan exchanged a quick glance, both seeing undisguised motives and calculations in each other’s eyes.
They’re much better off without that brat going to Hong Kong! It saves them the trouble of bringing a burden along and worrying that she’ll cause trouble and ruin Jingjing’s plans!
Xu Rongchang and Lin Jiaoyan exchanged a quick glance, both seeing undisguised motives and calculations in each other’s eyes.
They’re much better off without that brat going to Hong Kong! It saves them the trouble of bringing a burden along and worrying that she’ll cause trouble and ruin Jingjing’s plans!
As for compensation… as long as Jingjing can marry into the Song family smoothly and become the young mistress of the Song family, what does that little bit of compensation matter!
If Jingjing becomes successful in the future, will she still have to worry about not having money?
Xu Rongchang cleared his throat, suppressing his excitement, and asked in a composed manner, “Then… how much compensation do you want?”
Xu Xiangsi held up one finger and waved it in front of them before slowly saying, “Money, ten thousand yuan.”
Ten thousand yuan?!
Xu Rongchang and Lin Jiaoyan both gasped in shock! Xu Jingjing also forgot to play the victim and suddenly looked up, her face full of astonishment!
This brat is asking for an exorbitant amount!
Xu Xiangsi seemed oblivious to their reaction and continued, “Also, give me all the receipts from home—grain coupons, cloth coupons, industrial coupons, and so on. Anyway, once you’re in Hong Kong, those things will just be worthless pieces of paper, so there’s no point in keeping them. Consider this your compensation for buying out this marriage and what I’ve left behind.”