Su Lijuan’s eyes immediately went wide with panic. “I didn’t know he was still alive! Besides, Xia Wan, you’re a woman bringing a man to your own home. There’s no one else there what happens in your house is nobody else’s business.”
“Hey, I’m only trying to help you! You still have Jingxing’s death compensation, right? Using that money to support some outsider, that’s just not acceptable.”
At this, Lu Hongmei finally realized and pointed at Xia Wan, shouting, “Xia Wan! You shameless woman! You’re using my brother’s money to support a pretty boy!”
Ji Yuanchuan hurriedly panicked, “You’ve got it all wrong. Comrade Xia and I really don’t have anything. We’re just cooperating on business.”
Su Lijuan paused when she heard “business.”
She hadn’t expected Xia Wan to be trying to make money through Ji Yuanchuan.
Jingxing’s death compensation was 3,500 yuan if Xia Wan gave that to Ji Yuanchuan for business, she could make a huge profit!
Su Lijuan now looked flustered, glaring at them. “What business could you possibly be doing together? Xia Wan, don’t get involved in anything illegal!”
Xia Wan coldly observed the panic on Su Lijuan’s face and said, “Su Lijuan, you don’t need to have such an obsessive sense of ownership over other people’s money. That’s my money. Even if I throw it away, it’s none of your business.”
Lu Hongmei angrily shouted, “How is it not my business? That’s my brother’s death compensation! Soon Lijuan will marry my brother, so shouldn’t the money be hers?”
Su Lijuan tugged at Lu Hongmei’s sleeve. “Isn’t your brother still alive? The money should be returned, right? Originally it was given to Aunt Yang. They won’t go ask her for it, will they?”
Lu Hongmei panicked immediately. “That won’t do! Xia Wan, give the money back right now!”
Su Lijuan, meanwhile, forced a satisfied smile. “Yes, Xia Wan, you say this money has nothing to do with me. But now it looks like you don’t even need this money either!”
She was hoping Xia Wan would return the money so she could borrow it from Aunt Yang under her own name, then make even more money through business with Ji Yuanchuan.
Then the profits wouldn’t have anything to do with Xia Wan!
A nearby aunt overheard and couldn’t help commenting: “Xia Wan, I’d say this money should be returned. Otherwise, the Lu family will have to cover the shortfall. What you’re doing isn’t right!”
Xia Wan sighed lightly.
Why does everyone have such a strong sense of ownership over other people’s money?
She pointed at them and said, “First, this money belongs to me. How I use it has nothing to do with you. Second, this 3,500 yuan was the ‘hard work pay’ you gave me for marrying into the Lu family and serving you. When did it become Lu Jingxing’s death compensation? Wasn’t that compensation collected by your mother?”
Lu Hongmei froze.
“What do you mean? Are you trying to cheat us?”
Xia Wan put her hand in her pocket and pulled out the signed severance agreement from the system warehouse.
“It’s written clearly in black and white. The 3,500 yuan is the payment for my year of work in the Lu household as a housekeeper. Where does it say it’s Lu Jingxing’s death compensation? Lu Hongmei, there’s even your signature and your mother’s seal on it you’ve forgotten already?”
Su Lijuan’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected to be tricked by Xia Wan!
Even more surprising, Xia Wan had carried the severance agreement with her!
Su Lijuan incredulously said, “Xia Wan, you actually carried this in your pocket?”
“Of course I did, to prevent you from smearing me! If I hadn’t carried it today, by the time I went home to find it, you’d have spun some story with the neighbors. I’m just being prepared!”
Xia Wan glanced at the nearby aunt who had been eavesdropping. “Aunt, do you have an issue with this money?”
The aunt sheepishly shook her head. “No issue! It’s written in black and white what can I say?”
Xia Wan raised the severance agreement at Lu Hongmei. “See it clearly? I don’t care how your mother got this 3,500 yuan, but this money was handed to me by your mother as payment for serving as a daughter-in-law for a year. Don’t come looking for it again.”
She was about to put the document back in her pocket when a shadow suddenly darted out and snatched it from her hand.
The person was so stealthy that Xia Wan didn’t sense it in advance.
Lu Jingxing held groceries in one hand and the severance agreement in the other, scanning the contents. The further he read, the darker his expression grew.
Lu Hongmei, not noticing her brother’s expression, hurriedly said to him, “Brother, this woman tricked your death compensation from our mother and is using it to support a pretty boy! The pretty boy is here, and they’re going back together. You need to teach this adulterous pair a lesson!”
Lu Jingxing returned the severance agreement to Xia Wan and looked at Lu Hongmei and Su Lijuan.
Seeing he didn’t speak, Su Lijuan assumed Lu Jingxing was angry about Xia Wan being involved with another man.
A look of triumph flashed across her eyes. She quickly said, “Xia Wan, you’d better explain to Jingxing. You’re just having a meal together, it’s not like you’ve done anything to betray him, right?”
“And Jingxing, don’t be angry. They were caught by me and Hongmei before even entering the house. Xia Wan shouldn’t have done anything wrong to you, right?”
After Su Lijuan spoke, everything around fell silent.
Even the onlookers upstairs stopped cracking sunflower seeds, their eyes fixed on Lu Jingxing’s handsome face, wondering if he would really punch Ji Yuanchuan.
Lu Jingxing looked at Su Lijuan in disbelief. “Just inviting a friend home for a meal is that really something shameful in your eyes?”
Su Lijuan panicked. “But Xia Wan is taking your death compensation to give to a man she doesn’t even know! Who would normally give so much money to a stranger? She must trust him completely, right?”
Lu Jingxing said lightly, “I agreed to it last night.”
Su Lijuan gasped. “Last night? When? But you weren’t home! Did you go to Xia Wan’s place last night…?”
Lu Jingxing reached out to stop Xia Wan’s shoulder. “We’re married. Do I need to report to you where we spent last night?”
He lifted the groceries and gestured to the crowd. “Also, inviting a business partner home for a meal doesn’t require reporting to you. I just went to buy groceries, and someone already had the nerve to bully my wife?”
Lu Jingxing’s gaze turned fierce as he advanced toward Lu Hongmei. “Lu Hongmei! I’m back, and you dare openly bully my wife. No wonder when you thought I was dead, you kicked her out alone! Go back and write a 500-word self-reflection, hand it to your sister-in-law, and write until she’s satisfied! Otherwise, you’ll regret it!”