Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire-Chapter 163 - 153 Ding Tangping (1)

Chapter 163 -153 Ding Tangping (1) Chapter 163 -153 Ding Tangping (1) Lu Jiaxin was reading a book inside the house when Qian Xiaoxiao, carrying a bowl of edamame, came into the courtyard to shell them. Suddenly, four rag-clad people barged in.

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Qian Xiaoxiao grabbed an iron rod thick as a baby’s arm and threatened fiercely, “Get out of here quickly, or this rod won’t be so forgiving.”

The leader was an old man so gaunt he looked disfigured, who, upon seeing Qian Xiaoxiao, teared up and exclaimed, “Jiaxin, Jiaxin, I’m your grandfather!”

Qian Xiaoxiao had lived at Lu Jiaxin’s place for over half a year and knew her temperament well. If you were kind to her and she was capable, she would help you; the Lu family’s main house was the best proof. But if you mistreated her, she wouldn’t even spare you a glance — that’s precisely the situation her biological father, Lu Hongjun, found himself in now.

With this in mind, Qian Xiaoxiao yelled menacingly, “You’ve got the wrong place. My name is Qian Xiaoxiao, now leave at once. Take one more step forward, and I’ll break your legs.”

At this moment, the woman beside the old man stood out and yelled loudly, “Impossible, we’ve made sure of it, this is Jiaxin’s house.”

Her screaming startled Lu Jiaxin who was reading. She came out to see four people who looked like beggars in the courtyard and asked coldly, “Who are you?”

Seeing her, the beggar old man stood there dumbstruck, muttering to himself, “Mu Niang.”

Although she had escaped as a maiden, the disgrace of ending up in a brothel made Guh Lanlan subsequently decide to change her name.

The woman who had been shouting saw Lu Jiaxin and immediately knew she was the rightful owner, “Jiaxin, Jiaxin, I’m your aunt. Da Shi, Xiao Shi, this is your cousin, hurry up and greet her.”

Because they spoke with a hint of the common tongue, there was a regional accent, but it was still intelligible.

Lu Jiaxin stood on the doorstep, looking down at the old man with disdain, and asked, “Are you Ding Tangping?”

The woman said, “Jiaxin, how can you call your grandfather by his name like that?”

Lu Jiaxin pointed at the woman and the two children with a cold face and commanded, “Xiaoxiao, throw these three out for me.”

Qian Xiaoxiao first dragged the two children, one in each hand, to the doorway, then dragged the woman there, and finally shut the main gate.

The old man was a little scared, but remembering the plight of his home, he braved up and said, “Yes, I am Ding Tangping, your grandfather. Jiaxin, your uncle has fallen ill, a very serious illness. It has not only used up all the money at home, but we’ve also incurred a mountain of debt. Without the medicine, your uncle will not survive, and we had no choice but to come to you.”

Lu Jiaxin had no interest in explaining to him that Mrs. Lu had cut off relations with the Ding family, she directly asked, “Out with it, who sent you here?”

Old Man Ding had not expected her to be so sharp and said sorrowfully, “Jiaxin, it’s your uncle’s illness, it drove me to have no choice but to come.”

“Jiaxin, take pity on this old frame of mine and also your uncle who lies sick in bed! Jiaxin, even if it’s your grandfather begging you.”

Lu Jiaxin’s expression remained unchanged as she said, “As a child, I asked my mother why everyone has grandparents and why I never saw mine. She said my grandparents died when she was very young.”

Old Man Ding cried, tears and snot dripping as he said, “I’ve always been alive and well, how could your mother curse me like this?”

Lu Jiaxin said, “I’ll give you one more chance, if you tell me who sent you, I’ll give you twenty yuan. I’m going to count to three, one, two, three…”

Old Man Ding knelt on the ground, “Jiaxin, I’m begging you, please help me talk to your uncle! He’s my only son, I really can’t have the white-haired sending off the black-haired.”

For an elder to kneel before a younger person, in the eyes of some traditionalists, was an act inviting heaven’s wrath, and there was also a belief that it could shorten one’s life span. But Lu Jiaxin didn’t believe in these things; if heaven truly had eyes, it should strike down those who only give birth without providing care first.

Lu Jiaxin said, “Xiaoxiao, drag him out, then go to the police station to report a beggar has broken into our home and is stealing things.”

“Got it.”

Qian Xiaoxiao didn’t dare to drag the old man out for real; if he got injured in the process, she would be blamed. She put on an apron in the kitchen, then carried Old Man Ding outside.

Once outside, Qian Xiaoxiao realized that quite a crowd had already gathered. She shouted, “The moment these four walked into our house, they started looking around. I think they’re not beggars at all, but thieves. They’re dressed like beggars to scout the place, planning to steal if no one’s home, and if someone is, they pretend to beg for food.”

Old Man Ding hurriedly yelled, “Don’t talk nonsense. I’m not a thief, my name is Ding Tangping, and I am Lu Jiaxin’s grandfather.”

Qian Xiaoxiao sneered, “When you first came in and saw me, you called for Jiaxin, saying how much you missed me. You say you’re Sister Xin’s grandfather, but why don’t you even recognize your own granddaughter?”

Ding Tangping explained that his relationship with Ding Xiaoxia was not good and she hadn’t brought the child home, which was why he had mistaken her. After saying this, he also took out a household registration book.

Just then, a woman said, “I heard that the young lady’s mother was abused by her stepmother since childhood, never had enough to eat or clothes to wear, and even had to sleep in a firewood shed. When she grew up pretty, they wanted to sell her to a rich but foolish man who had killed someone, in exchange for a hefty dowry. Miss Lu’s mother was only in her teens at that time, afraid of being beaten to death by the fool, so she ran away at night. That she managed to survive and marry into a good family was purely luck.”

Upon hearing this, the onlookers immediately started to murmur amongst themselves. A woman, whose good sister had suffered similar hardships, questioned, “Back then you let the stepmother abuse your daughter, now that your daughter is gone, how can you still have the face to show up? Don’t tell me you expect your granddaughter to support you?”

Qian Xiaoxiao’s greatest pleasure was to join the aunties and indulge in various gossips: “He’s not just expecting Sister Xin to support him; he also wants her to pay for his consumptive son’s treatment! His consumptive son has been a burden on his own family because of his medical expenses, and now he wants to drag our Sister Xin down with them into poverty.”

At this moment, a shady-looking character shouted, “How could Lu Jiaxin become poor? Her aunt is a very wealthy lady, I heard she has property worth several million! Just ask the aunt for some money, and that should be enough for her uncle’s treatment.”

At this time, there were also many holier-than-thou types who felt that since Lu Jiaxin was wealthy, she should help, after all, one should not stand by and let a close grandfather and uncle die.

Qian Xiaoxiao was almost furious, but she alone couldn’t argue against so many mouths, so she turned back into the house and shut the door.

Lu Jiaxin had just been in the courtyard, and everything outside was clear as day: “Why bother arguing with them, just go directly to the police station to report it.”

Qian Xiaoxiao didn’t dare to leave: “What if I go and they climb over the wall to hurt you? Sister Xin, let’s find two people, one to call the police and another to summon Brother Jie and the others!”

Lu Jiaxin thought about it and felt that calling Second Sister-in-law Lu over would be even better. After all, it wasn’t good for a man to lay hands on a woman, but since Second Sister-in-law was also a woman, there would be no problem.

Qian Xiaoxiao picked up a ladder, climbed up the wall, and saw Big Sister Chen’s husband also among the crowd, so she asked him to help go to the police station to report.

Big Sister Chen had only worked at the shop for two months before she quit. She had found her own way by wholesaling fruits from relatives to sell at her doorstep, and even started selling cigarettes along with them. She initially just wanted to supplement the household income, but to her surprise, the profits from her street stall surpassed her husband’s salary.

Upon hearing the request, Big Sister Chen’s husband agreed: “Alright, I’ll go right now.”