NOVEL NEXT Chapter 98 - 92 Suspension of Salary and Retention of Position
Chapter 98: Chapter 92 Suspension of Salary and Retention of Position
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Lu Jiaguang understood Ma Lili’s detached demeanor all too well; he himself was frightened at the time, nearly dropping the phone.
The sound of Xiao Feng falling and crying snapped Ma Lili out of her thoughts. Without sparing a moment for her child, she said, “Big brother, better call Jiaxin back! With so much money, she can live a lifetime without needing to take risks.”
Lu Jiaguang shook his head, “I tried advising her, but the girl wouldn’t listen. Let it be, the money is basically found fortune. Let her give it a try; she might actually make some.”
Ma Lili was skeptical, “How easy is doing business supposed to be? A colleague’s husband tried to follow others in doing business, took the family savings to Yangcheng to stock up on clothes, but the goods were robbed midway.”
Having said that, she realized her own misunderstanding. If Jiaxin really got her hands on some good items, she could rely on her Big Brother’s connections to transport the goods back in a train wagon. It wasn’t just about fear of being arrested for speculation; there were no worries about theft either. Even the most ferocious highwaymen wouldn’t dare to rob a train, not to mention that the country was in the midst of a security overhaul, and it’s much safer outside now.
Having said what needed to be said, Lu Jiaguang didn’t press further, “Sister-in-law, when Jiajie comes back, have a good talk with her.”
When Lu Jiaguang returned home, Wang Xiaojie was having dinner with the kids. Hearing that he hadn’t eaten, Wang Xiaojie went inside to get him a bowl and chopsticks, “Why are you back so late?”
“Went over to Radiance Road.”
Lu Zhenzhen perked up at the mention, “Dad, when is Auntie coming back? I miss her so much.”
They assumed the Auntie would return from her hometown soon, but then she went to Peng City, and it had been over a month without her return. Peng City, oh, her classmates said there were so many delicious things and fun places there, and even red-haired, long-nosed foreigners.
Lu Jiaguang replied with a smile, “Not so soon, your Auntie probably won’t come back until the end of the year.”
Wang Xiaojie glanced at him in surprise, but with the kids around, she didn’t inquire further. Only after dinner, when Lu Jiaguang started cleaning up the dishes and went into the kitchen, did she ask what was going on.
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Lu Jiaguang briefly explained, “I didn’t expect the painting she picked up would be authentic, and it sold for such a high price. Since she wants to do business, let her be. If she loses money, she can return and concentrate on her studies.”
Wang Xiaojie’s mouth gaped in astonishment before she managed to say, “Is, is this for real?”
“Jiaxin said the ancient painting was sold to Nie Zhan, the grandson of the Hong Kong tycoon Nie Shiheng. I asked around this afternoon, and the Nie Family is discussing a big project with the government. Nie Zhan came as the representative to negotiate, so what the girl said should be true,” Lu Jiaguang said. He was also wary of the other party not showing good will, so he made sure to check through someone he trusted, and with the information confirmed, he was reassured.
Wang Xiaojie felt somewhat emotional, “These wealthy sons really don’t think much of money.”
One Hundred Thousand Pieces, an amount they’d never earn in a lifetime, yet someone didn’t even blink an eye at spending it on a painting. Hm, a painting that can neither be eaten nor drunk.
Lu Jiaguang laughed, “But these rich young masters are smarter than us. If he’s willing to spend so much on a painting, it proves it’s worth that amount.”
Wang Xiaojie didn’t dwell on that; she just thought that Lu Jiaxin was incredibly lucky. To stroll through an antique market in Ancient Capital and end up finding and selling a real painting for such a price.
However, Lu Jiaguang didn’t see it just as luck, “It’s not just good fortune; the Third Aunt must have taught her how to appraise antiques.”
Wang Xiaojie responded in amazement, “You’re saying the Third Aunt can appraise antiques, but how come I never heard about it?”
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Lu Jiaguang explained, “Third Aunt’s maternal family used to be the wealthiest, but her grandfather was schemed against and developed an opium addiction. He not only squandered the entire family fortune but also sold his wife and children. Third Aunt’s mother went through a lot of ups and downs and only through a stroke of fate ended up marrying her father. Third Aunt never went to school, but she knows a lot of characters, all taught by her mother.”
Wang Xiaojie really didn’t know these things before; she only knew that Ding Xiaoxia had cut ties with her maternal family, which was very poor: “You’ve never mentioned any of this to me before.”
Lu Jiaguang sighed and said, “Third Uncle once told me when he was drunk; he also muttered that Third Aunt secretly kept quite a few old items and they had argued about it several times. With the situation at that time, telling you would have only made you worry unnecessarily.”
He respected Ding Xiaoxia a lot and, worried she might get into trouble, had specifically advised her. However, Ding Xiaoxia said she didn’t intentionally collect old items; she just came across them by chance a few times and couldn’t resist because she liked them too much.
Wang Xiaojie, recalling what Lu Jiaxin had said before, asked with some concern, “Are those things Third Aunt collected in Third Uncle’s possession? We should have him hand them over to Jiaxin, so they don’t end up with Ding Jing. Otherwise, Third Aunt will not rest in peace.”
Lu Jiaguang shook his head and said, “I used to think that everything was in Third Uncle’s hands as well, but since Third Aunt bought a house for Jiaxin without telling him, it shows she doesn’t trust him, so those items are probably not with him.”
“Then are they with Madam Xie?”
Lu Jiaguang shook his head and said, “No. I’ve already asked Madam Xie to take care of Jiaxin, so it’s unlikely she’d keep the wealth for her. That wouldn’t be in line with Third Aunt’s character.”
Putting all your eggs in one basket is too risky.
Wang Xiaojie exclaimed, “If only Third Aunt hadn’t run into trouble, how good that would have been!”
Third Aunt was not only smart but also generous, and she handled things comprehensively. When she was around, the whole family was harmonious and happy, unlike now; she doesn’t even want to take the children over there for meals…
Lu Jiaguang also felt a bit melancholic. However, his sister had grown up now and didn’t need to worry about being bullied by that evil woman anymore.
At ten o’clock in the evening, Lu Jiajie returned home. He had been somewhat tipsy from drinking, but he sobered up instantly when he heard that Lu Jiaxin’s ancient painting had sold for a sky-high price and that she wanted him to go to Yangcheng City to help.
Ma Lili was still conflicted. She wanted Lu Jiajie to go out and make something of himself, but she also feared that going out might change him and lead to unexpected problems.
Lu Jiajie hadn’t even considered it and said, “Five hundred a month, that’s one thousand five in three months. Wife, let’s stop looking at houses for now; we’ll talk about it when I come back from Yangcheng City. By then we can buy a house in a good location with good schools. If we don’t have enough money, we can borrow some from Jiaxin then.”
They had never asked before because the money Jiaxin had was the dowry left to her by Third Aunt, and they shouldn’t have touched it. But money earned by his sister herself was a different matter.
Ma Lili said, “What if Jiaxin loses money? We won’t feel right asking her for it.”
Lu Jiajie felt she was overthinking it: “Don’t worry about that, if Jiaxin promised, she’ll give it to us even if we don’t ask. Stop overthinking it. I’m just taking unpaid leave for a year, it’s not like I’m quitting. Earning one thousand five in three months, whatever I do afterward will be better than working. After a year, I’ll go back to work, it won’t cause any delay.”
Ma Lili didn’t object any further, mainly because the amount Jiaxin offered was too generous to refuse: “Isn’t it just until the end of the year at Jiaxin’s place? That’s just over three months, so you go ahead and take unpaid leave for six months. If we make money, we can extend the time and do something else, and if not, you can go back to work.”
Lu Jiajie said with a smile on his face, “I’ll listen to you.”