Lin Hongyun felt a surge of delight in her heart. Although they had lost two thousand yuan, she and Lu Changzheng could now openly be husband and wife without having to sneak around anymore.
Moreover, Lu Changzheng was now a battalion commander with a monthly salary of over eighty yuan. Who knows, he might even climb higher in the future.
That fool Jian Ning only cared about immediate gains. For the sake of two thousand yuan, she had given up Lu Changzheng.
Hah! The day would come when she would regret it!
“Fine! You said it yourself. Don’t you regret it!” Lu Changzheng gritted his teeth.
“Changzheng, how can our family come up with that much money?”
“I don’t care about that. If I don’t see the money within three days, I’ll go to the military to file a complaint. You deal with it as you see fit!”
After saying this, Jian Ning turned and bowed deeply to Director Liang. “Director, thank you for upholding justice for me today. If it weren’t for you, I’m afraid I would have been bullied to death by their family!”
Director Liang was quite pleased to hear this and nodded. “This is just part of my job. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to come to me!”
Then, she glanced at the others present. “Alright, everyone, disperse now.”
After that, Director Liang gave Lu Changzheng a meaningful look before turning to leave.
The others present also gradually dispersed.
Jian Ning went inside to pack her belongings and prepared to leave.
Seeing her about to leave, the Lu family members all had grim expressions, especially Lu Changzheng, whose face was extremely dark.
At that moment, Lu Xiaomei suddenly ran over and grabbed Jian Ning’s arm, whispering, “Sister-in-law, please don’t be angry. My brother was wrong in this matter. Could you please forgive him one more time?”
Jian Ning sneered. In her previous life, she had always considered her sister-in-law her closest confidante, believing she was always on her side.
Later, when Jian Ning was sent to the mental hospital, this same sister-in-law had deliberately come to flaunt her wealth, adorned in gold and silver.
By then, she had become the cherished daughter of the provincial Xiao Family, married to a military officer, living an exceedingly comfortable life.
And all of this stemmed from the jade pendant Jian Ning had given her, which led the Xiao Family to mistakenly identify Lu Xiaomei as their long-lost biological daughter.
In the end, it was also Lu Xiaomei who personally ended Jian Ning’s life.
If she hadn’t experienced all this, Jian Ning would never have believed that this seemingly delicate and innocent young girl could be so ruthless!
Jian Ning gave her a cool glance, then reached out and yanked the jade pendant from her neck.
In this life, she would reclaim everything that belonged to her. The jade pendant was just the beginning.
“Ah…” Lu Xiaomei cried out in pain, then looked at Jian Ning in disbelief. “Sister-in-law, what are you doing!”
“Don’t call me sister-in-law. I’m not your sister-in-law anymore! This jade pendant was a gift from me before. Now it’s returned to its rightful owner.”
Jian Ning’s expression clearly said, “Don’t come near me.”
“Sister-in-law, even if you hate my brother, you and I have always been close. How can you treat me like this!” Lu Xiaomei put on a hurt expression.
“Stop acting. Do you think I don’t know what you’re scheming? You’re the least valued in this family. If I leave, you’ll be the one to suffer!”
Jian Ning directly exposed her ulterior motives. Lu Xiaomei’s face changed color. She tried hard to contain herself, clenching her fists tightly. Damn Jian Ning!
But Jian Ning didn’t want to pay her any more attention. She turned and left.
Lu Changzheng watched Jian Ning’s retreating figure, gritting his teeth involuntarily, his hands clenched tightly into fists.
Fine, Jian Ning! Since it’s come to this, don’t you dare regret it!
After today, even if you kneel before me begging for three days and three nights, I’ll never forgive you!
“Changzheng, I still have some money left. Let’s pool our resources and send it to her quickly. What if she really goes to the military to file a complaint? That would be troublesome,” Lin Hongyun advised softly.
Lu Changzheng looked down at Lin Hongyun, his heart instantly softening. Compared to that venomous woman Jian Ning, Lin Hongyun was as gentle and kind as an angel.
Even if the whole world opposed them, he would protect Lin Hongyun and stay with her.
“Hmph, after turning our household upside down, you should be the one paying all this money!” Lu Baishun snorted discontentedly.
Although he had long known about Lu Changzheng and Lin Hongyun’s affair, he had always believed they could keep it hidden. Who would have thought these two couldn’t even manage to conceal such a matter? Now not only had Jian Ning run off, but they also had to lose two thousand yuan. The mere thought made his heart ache terribly.
Lu Xiaomei’s gaze toward Lin Hongyun also carried a trace of resentment, though she didn’t dare show it openly.
After leaving the Lu residence, Jian Ning went straight back to the Jian family.
Her mother Zhang Chunhua had passed away a few years ago, and her father Jian Shuyang had disappeared five or six years earlier. The household now only had her reckless older brother Jian Junhui left.
When Jian Ning arrived home, she heard unusual noises coming from inside. Frowning, she directly kicked the door open.
The two people busy inside were startled by the commotion.
Jian Junhui turned to curse but upon seeing it was Jian Ning, his face darkened. “Why are you back?” he snapped coldly.
Jian Ning gave him a cold look. “Get dressed and get out here!”
“Damn girl, who do you think you’re talking to? I’m your brother!”
Jian Junhui’s temper flared instantly. The woman beside him quickly dressed and slipped away.
Fuming, Jian Junhui spat fiercely on the ground before putting on his clothes and going out to the living room.
Seeing Jian Ning sitting there unhurriedly drinking tea, he walked over with a frown. “Weren’t you supposed to marry that Lu guy today? What are you doing back here?” he asked impatiently.
The siblings had never gotten along well. Later, when Jian Ning insisted on marrying Lu Changzheng, their relationship deteriorated further. Jian Junhui had even told her never to come back, even if she died.
“I broke up with him,” Jian Ning stated.
“Broke up? Really? You’d give up that pretty boy?” Jian Junhui reacted as if he’d heard something unbelievable.
Previously, Jian Ning had been desperately infatuated with that pretty boy, even moving in to serve his parents before they were married.
“He’s been involved with his sister-in-law all along. They’ve even registered their marriage. I only found out today,” Jian Ning said calmly, as if discussing someone else’s affairs.
Jian Junhui immediately jumped up. “That bastard! If I don’t beat him to death today, I won’t bear the Jian surname!”
As he spoke, Jian Junhui started heading out.
Jian Ning quickly stopped him. “Brother, there’s no need. I have nothing to do with him anymore. From now on, we’ll go our separate ways.”
“So you just served his family for nothing? No way! I can’t let them off that easily!”
Jian Junhui stamped his feet, assuming a posture of unwavering determination.
Jian Ning grabbed him and patiently persuaded, “Brother, I demanded two thousand dollars from them and gave them three days to pay. If they dare not pay up, you can go settle the score with them then—it won’t be too late!”
“Really?” At the mention of money, Jian Junhui’s eyes instantly lit up.
“Really.”
“Alright, we’ll wait three days then!”
Only then did Jian Junhui calm down. “But,” he couldn’t help looking at Jian Ning with a suspicious gaze, “are you really determined? You won’t change your mind again in a couple of days, will you?”