Old Master Nie was too old to withstand such a shock, and Nie Zhan wanted to keep Nie Manlin’s drug addiction a secret, but he couldn’t hide it since people weren’t returning.
Just as Nie Zhan feared, Old Master Nie fainted when he found out. Fortunately, Nie Zhan had brought a doctor with him just in case, and they were able to save him in time, but he had another stroke. He had already had two strokes before, and this time he was left paralyzed, unable to speak, only able to communicate with his eyes.
As a granddaughter-in-law, Lu Jiaxin also went to the hospital to visit him, but she just showed her face and didn’t get involved. With Nie Jingwen and Nie Zhan’s grandsons there, it wasn’t her place to worry.
That night, Zhang Lalan called Lu Jiaxin, asking if she was at home: "Sister-in-law, I have something to discuss with you, and it’s not convenient to talk about it over the phone."
"Is it urgent? If not, we can talk after I get home in the afternoon. I get off work at three," said Lu Jiaxin. Ever since she had her baby, she would leave early, going home for lunch if there wasn’t anything urgent — that’s the joy of being a boss.
Zhang Lalan came over this time to talk about Nie Manlin: "Sister-in-law, someone sent Jingwen some photos, photos of Aunt using drugs. The person said they would sell us the negatives for five million. I found out by accident and told Jingwen not to pay, but he didn’t agree."
"When did this happen?"
Zhang Lalan whispered, "Just last night. I talked to him for a long time, and when I couldn’t persuade him, I deliberately said that the money for buying the negatives had to be discussed with Nie Zhan. After some back and forth, he agreed."
She believed that spending this money would lead to grave consequences. The other party was obviously well-prepared, and who knows how many negatives there were! Even though the Nie Family was powerful, the opponent was overseas, and these addicts would do anything for money.
"Sister-in-law, do you mind if I call Big Brother now?" Lu Jiaxin asked. After all, if Nie Zhan were in Australia, she wouldn’t have to handle this.
Zhang Lalan certainly didn’t mind. She wouldn’t have come if she feared Nie Jingwen finding out.
When Nie Jingwen answered her call, he said, "I talked to Ah Zhan about it this morning, and he feels the same as you."
He was worried the other party might act rashly and expose those photos, thinking spending money could avert a disaster. However, not only did his wife disagree with this idea, but Nie Zhan also refused, and now with Lu Jiaxin against it, he decided not to insist.
Lu Jiaxin thanked him first, then said, "Big Brother, let mom make a public appearance after some time. These rumors will naturally die down. If we show weakness now, the other party will see us as their bank and keep asking for money."
That night, when she spoke to Nie Zhan on the phone, Lu Jiaxin asked how he planned to handle this: "If we don’t instill some fear now, any random person could plot against us in the future."
Despite her dislike for Nie Manlin, Lu Jiaxin didn’t want to have more contact with her, but she never thought of letting her get involved with these filthy things. Once entangled with such things, there’s no way out, and many families have been destroyed because of them.
Nie Zhan replied with a hum, "I’ll explain it to you in detail when I get home."
After many years together, they had developed a sufficient mutual understanding. Lu Jiaxin knew that he had already begun to deal with it, but it wasn’t convenient to discuss it over the phone: "Okay, the kids and I are waiting for you to come back."
Three days later, Nie Zhan returned from his business trip and told Lu Jiaxin that all the negatives had been retrieved. He didn’t say how they were retrieved, and she didn’t ask. It’s fine as long as the matter is resolved; the process doesn’t matter.
It soon became Last Month of the Lunar Year, and Old Master Nie was in a more severe condition this time. Previously, combining Chinese and Western medicine, he could speak after a stroke, but this time, after more than a month of treatment, he still couldn’t talk, only able to move his eyeballs. Nie Zhan had to visit the hospital daily, and his bad mood was affected by his concern for Old Master Nie.
In Lu Jiaxin’s view, instead of living in pain , euthanasia would be better. However, she was just a granddaughter-in-law, and with the family’s wealth, giving up treatment was not an option.
On the twenty-third of the Last Month of the Lunar Year, Lu Jiaxin called Lu Hongjun and said, "The flight is the day after tomorrow. I’ve already arranged with Xing Ziyang; he’ll take you to Peng City, and once you arrive, someone will pick you up to cross the border."
The sense of happiness comes from comparison, and compared to Nie Manlin, Lu Hongjun was much less troublesome. After she bailed him out, without a pension, Lu Hongjun became obedient, no longer getting involved in dubious activities. Yes, not even indulging in flirtations. Unlike Nie Manlin, who acted like an imbecile who didn’t comprehend human language, and now after being schemed against, they, as a couple, had to clean up the mess.
Lu Hongjun agreed immediately, and after hanging up, he promptly asked the maid to help pack his clothes.
The maid said, "Old Comrade Lu, it’s warm in Hong Kong, so don’t bring thick clothes; just bring a couple of changes of inner clothing for laundering."
In her opinion, there was no need even to bring spare clothes. The boss was wealthy and generous, and it was the festive season, so new clothes would surely be prepared. But she didn’t say this, just in case. After all, the father-daughter relationship wasn’t great. If things turned sour, at least there would be inner clothes to wear.
Lu Jiaguang came to see him after work and was delighted to know he’d be going to Hong Kong the day after tomorrow: "Xiaojie made a lot of sausages, bring some along when you go; Jiaxin likes them."
Lu Hongjun didn’t refuse but said, "I’ll only bring the sausages. No need for anything else. She’s picky about food now, many things she used to like she doesn’t touch anymore."
Just the sausages, bringing anything else would be difficult.
The night before departure, Lu Jiaguang said worriedly, "Third Uncle, Jiaxin is taking you to Hong Kong because she feels sorry for you getting older, not because she forgives you. When you arrive, don’t interfere with anything, just spend more time with the children."
Finally, Jiaxin had taken a step back, and he was worried that Lu Hongjun might, once again, act unwisely and interfere, which might lead them back to square one.
Lu Hongjun waved his hand and said, "She’s letting me go to Hong Kong because she knows I care about the kids. I know what to do, so don’t worry yourself unnecessarily."
Now, without a pension, he relied entirely on Jiaxin for his living expenses, so he dared not upset her. Although Jiaxin didn’t bring him to live in Hong Kong, he’s also very content here. He spends his days in the park practicing Tai Chi, playing chess, and amusing the birds. His nephews and grandnephews come by after work to chat with him. On weekends, Lu Shan brings his three kids over to keep him company. His current life makes his fellow old friends quite envious.
Thinking about his behavior over the past two years, Lu Jiaguang decided to trust him. Back home, he told Wang Xiaojie that Lu Hongjun had changed significantly in the past two years.
Wang Xiaojie said, "He used to have a high retirement pension, and wasn’t afraid of Jiaxin not supporting him. Now, with nothing, if Jiaxin didn’t take care of him, relying on Lu Shan wouldn’t grant him this comfortable life."
Lu Shan is a dutiful son, but he also earns his money through hard work and has to support three children. He can ensure that Lu Hongjun is fed, clothed, and has medical care, but to have someone to serve him and buy whatever he wants is unrealistic.
Lu Jiaguang didn’t speak, but deep down, he felt that Lu Hongjun not having a high pension was a good thing. Everyone knew he relied on his daughter’s support now, and his daughter didn’t agree to him finding a partner, so no one introduced matches to him anymore. Without looking for a partner, there weren’t many troublesome issues, and things were peaceful for them too.