Unlike the harmony next door,
the private room where Jiang Jingze sat might be described as akin to a metaphorical Feast at Hongmen.
The Jiang Family’s structure was not complicated; the patriarch, Jiang Qing, and his wife, Cui Shu, had three children.
They were Jiang Chengxin, Jiang Chengren, and Jiang Chengyi.
Jiang Chengren was the second eldest and the only businessman in the family.
The Jiang Family was known for their academic legacy, boasting imperial examination laureates among their ancestors.
Jiang Qing was also considered a man of learning.
Thus, he always hoped that his children would carry on the family’s scholarly tradition.
Perhaps benefiting from good genes, all three children performed well academically, especially the eldest, Jiang Chengxin, whose achievements were particularly outstanding.
Jiang Chengyi, although not as scholarly as his older brother, was the baby of the family and naturally the most doted on by the parents.
Compared to them, Jiang Chengren became the one who received the least attention.
Moreover, in that particular era, Jiang Chengren left the secure job of a teacher to venture into business, which infuriated the old man to no end.
Jiang Chengren’s business grew larger and larger, making him the most financially successful in the family. His family benefited from his prosperity and lived comfortably.
In theory, the elder Jiang Qing should have revised his outlook.
But he didn’t. On the one hand, he enjoyed the wealth brought by his second son; on the other, he felt this son had tarnished the family’s reputation with his mercenary ways.
This dissatisfaction peaked after the birth of Jiang Jingze.
Despite priding himself on being an intellectual and being somewhat superstitious, Jiang Qing considered Jiang Jingze to be ill-fated.
He wanted Jiang Chengren to have another child.
Although there were murmurs of family planning policies after the birth of Jiang Jingze, enforcement was not yet strict.
Besides, even if the rules were stringent, with Jiang Chengren’s wealth, he could afford to pay the fines.
However, Jiang Chengren, who usually seemed very obedient, refused. He claimed he would only have Jiang Jingze as his son in this lifetime.
This only increased the old man’s dissatisfaction.
At every family gathering, the second branch of the family became the target of criticism.
With a face as dark as the bottom of a pot, the old man heavily smacked his palm down on the table.
"Jiang Chengren, now that your business has grown so big, you can’t even listen to your mother and me. Can’t we control you anymore?"
Jiang Chengren’s expression was resolute.
"It’s not that I won’t listen, but I can’t accept this kind of request. It’s not ancient times anymore. Where is it said that one son should inherit from two branches? My brother also has only Pengxuan as a son. Why should he be adopted by me?"
He had hoped that after the old man initiated contact for a family banquet, finding some peace would be possible, but upon arrival, he was met with a demand to adopt his brother’s son.
Jiang Chengren found it ridiculous. His own son was well and healthy; he would be insane to adopt another.
The old man huffed coldly, "Why? Can you guarantee that the boy will live to adulthood?"
In his eyes, Jiang Jingze was a jinx, bringing misfortune wherever he went.
If it were ancient times, he would have likely been drowned in a pond to appease the Dragon King.
Jiang Chengren’s face darkened, "Father, are you cursing Aze?"
Jiang Qing choked, swallowing back the harsh words that he had been about to express.
Fu Ting, sitting next to Jiang Chengren, also frowned and looked at him.
Jiang Qing became even more infuriated.
Unbelievable, how could they challenge him for this jinx!
With a stony face, Jiang Qing insisted, "I’m just speaking the truth. You refused to have another child back then, and now I’m asking you to adopt Pengxuan for your own good, at least so someone will be there to take care of you when you’re old."
Jiang Chengren sneered inwardly. Did his father think he was out of his mind?
What did "take care of" mean? It was clearly about who would inherit his wealth.
Undercurrents of tension flowed through the banquet, but Jiang Jingze, who had been singled out, didn’t even lift his eyelids.
He continued to pick up the celery in the plate before him and chewed it thoughtfully.
Hmm... it was a bit overcooked.
He heard that the master chef was sick today and a substitute had taken over at the last minute. Indeed, the cooking missed the mark.