Upon hearing this, Lin Jiaoyan screamed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: “Ten thousand yuan?! Xu Xiangsi, you’re really asking for the moon! Do you think money grows on trees?”
Xu Jingjing put on her pitiful look again and gently advised, “Sister, isn’t ten thousand yuan too much? Besides, it’s not safe for a girl like you to carry so much money on you. What if… what if someone watches you on the street?”
Xu Xiangsi burst out laughing as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world.
“Being targeted? By whom?” She looked at Xu Jingjing’s feigned worried face with amusement. “There are only four of us in this house. If you don’t go out and spread the word, who will know that I have so much money on me?”
At this point, her tone shifted abruptly, her eyes turning icy: “Could it be that you’re planning to deliberately spread this news so that I’ll be robbed, or even… murdered?”
Xu Jingjing’s face flushed red and then turned pale at her words, and she choked, unable to utter a single word.
Xu Xiangsi snorted coldly and turned her gaze to Xu Rongchang and Lin Jiaoyan.
“What? You all think ten thousand dollars is too much, and you can’t bear to part with it?” She raised an eyebrow. “Do you think my fiancé, Song Shengze, isn’t worth that price? Or do you think your precious daughter, Xu Jingjing, isn’t worthy of marrying a talented young man from Hong Kong?”
These words really hit Xu Rongchang and Lin Jiaoyan where it hurts! Isn’t that exactly what they’re hoping Xu Jingjing will do for them and become a wealthy wife?
Xu Rongchang’s face turned pale and then red, he was choked with spit.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said in a deep voice, “This matter…we need to discuss it.”
“Okay.” Xu Xiangsi said readily. “However, I don’t have much time, so you’d better discuss it quickly.”
“Oh, right,” she added as if suddenly remembering something, “after we’ve finalized the agreement, let’s also sign a certificate of severance of relations.”
“What?!” Upon hearing this, Xu Rongchang’s anger, which he had just suppressed, suddenly flared up again, and his eyes widened like copper bells!
“You want to sever our father-daughter relationship?!” He could hardly believe his ears. This rebellious daughter was becoming more and more lawless!
Xu Xiangsi said matter-of-factly, “Otherwise what? I’m going to a remote rural area to stay with my grandfather who has been sent to the countryside. What about you? You’re going to Hong Kong to live a life of luxury and privilege.”
She paused, then looked at Xu Rongchang meaningfully, “Going to Hong Kong requires a strict approval process. If the higher-ups knew I was the descendant of a ‘capitalist,’ do you think… your application to go to Hong Kong would be approved smoothly?”
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Xu Rongchang from head to toe.
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Xu Rongchang’s head, instantly extinguishing his anger.
He snapped back to reality, and a layer of cold sweat even broke out on his forehead.
Yes! That brat is right! Their trip to Hong Kong isn’t illegal; it requires organizational review! If the organization finds out that their family still has ties with a relative with a bad class background, especially since this relative is a “capitalist’s daughter” who’s going to join her grandfather who’s been sent down to the countryside, their application will definitely be rejected!
That brat, everything she said made perfect sense; she practically got his lifeline in her grasp!
Xu Rongchang could no longer care about being angry or the pitiful father-daughter relationship. He quickly turned around and went to find paper and pen: “I’ll write! I’ll write right now!”
In order to go to Hong Kong smoothly, I’ll do anything, let alone sever ties!
Xu Xiangsi was in no hurry. She reached out and gently pressed down on the paper he was about to write on.
“No rush,” she said slowly. “You can take your time to write the proof of severing ties. Just give me the ten thousand yuan and the receipts first.”
Xu Rongchang froze, looked up at Xu Xiangsi, and gritted his teeth.
He was filled with hatred! That little beast, he wouldn’t suffer even the slightest loss!
But what could he do? He could only endure it!
He forced out a few words through gritted teeth: “Here you go! Since you’ve been so ‘sensible’ today, I’ll give it to you!”
Xu Xiangsi scoffed, her eyes filled with contempt.
“I’ve always been reasonable. After all, my mother and I were raised in luxury by my maternal grandfather. Our vision and perspective are far beyond what people like you, who are greedy and short-sighted, can compare to.”
The phrase “shortsighted” directly insulted Xu Rongchang, Lin Jiaoyan, and Xu Jingjing.
Upon hearing this, the faces of Xu Rongchang, Lin Jiaoyan, and Xu Jingjing all turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t refute it and could only swallow their anger.
Xu Rongchang, his face ashen, barely suppressed the urge to vomit blood as he turned and went into the inner room.
After a while, he came out with a bulging brown paper envelope and an old tin biscuit box.
Lin Jiaoyan watched the stacks of brand-new “big unity” bills, which hurt her eyes, but her heart ached even more.
Her heart was breaking! That was ten thousand yuan! And those receipts—in this day and age, they were practically hard currency!
She couldn’t stand it any longer. She glared at Xu Xiangsi, snorted heavily, turned around and went back to her room, slamming the door shut. Out of sight, out of mind, she went to sulk!
Seeing this, Xu Jingjing quickly followed, gently knocked on Lin Jiaoyan’s door, and softly advised, “Mom, don’t be angry. My sister… she was just confused for a moment.”
She pushed open the door, moved closer to Lin Jiaoyan, lowered her voice, and spoke with a hint of pride and anticipation.
“Mom, think about it. Once I marry Mr. Song and become the young mistress of the Song family in Hong Kong, won’t I have everything I want? What are these little bit of money and notes? I’ll earn them back for you tenfold!”
Lin Jiaoyan sat on the edge of the bed, her chest heaving with anger. Clearly, Xu Jingjing’s empty promises had not completely comforted her.
“That’s money too! Pure, unadulterated money! And those tickets, they could be exchanged for a lot of good stuff on the black market!” The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, gritting her teeth and cursing, “That damned girl, she’s just as despicable as her mother!”
The thought of so much money and receipts going to Xu Xiangsi so easily broke her heart.
But the thought that Xu Jingjing could marry Song Shengze in her place made her barely suppress her anger.