Chapter 37

Chapter 37

The family of five went to Liu Jingzhi's adoptive parents' home.

Those living here were mostly ordinary employees and temporary workers from the Machinery Plant. These days, the Machinery Plant had already resumed work, and at this time, many families had just finished eating not long ago. Lights were on in their homes, and there were quite a few people washing up in the corridors.

The quarrel that had just occurred next door was heard by several neighboring families. The sound insulation here was poor, making it difficult not to hear. Now, seeing a strange family accompanying Liu Jingzhi, everyone became curious.

Regarding Liu Jingzhi, the neighbors were very familiar with her. From childhood, she was always "the child of others," good-looking, with a pleasant personality, and smart and capable. Many parents secretly envied her in their hearts. Sometimes, when they gathered together, they would say that Old Liu and his wife must have stepped in some dog shit to have given birth to such an ugly melon but raised a beautiful flower.

However, these remarks were only made behind closed doors; no one dared to say them to their faces.

Now, upon hearing that she wasn't their biological daughter, everyone felt that it was no wonder. Otherwise, how could they favor the lazy and sharp-tongued younger daughter over such an outstanding elder daughter?

Jiang Mingchuan walked ahead and, upon arriving, stopped to knock on the door.

Seeing Liu Jingzhi slow down beside her, Jin Xiuzhu also stopped. After the door opened, she distinctly felt the girl beside her stiffen.

She gently patted her hand and whispered, "Don’t be afraid."

Liu Jingzhi softly responded with a quiet "Mm."

The door was opened by Song Xiaoru. Seeing Jiang Mingchuan standing at the door, her expression changed, and she asked fearfully, "You... Why did you come here?"

Jiang Mingchuan said coldly, "I came to talk to you."

Song Xiaoru couldn’t make decisions on her own. Hearing this, she hesitated and glanced inside. Liu Qin inside also heard the noise and, after pausing for a moment, said, "Let him in."

Song Xiaoru moved aside.

They originally thought only Jiang Mingchuan had come, but unexpectedly, a family of four followed behind him, including the eldest daughter who had run out earlier.

Seeing their eldest daughter, both parents were visibly moved. Song Xiaoru reached out to pull her and called, "Jingzhi."

Liu Jingzhi sidestepped to avoid her touch.

Song Xiaoru opened her mouth, then sadly lowered her head.

Liu Aihua, who had already been sleeping in her room, hurriedly put on her clothes and ran out upon hearing the noise. She immediately said, "What are you doing back? Didn’t you leave with pride?"

Liu Qin sighed and said weakly, "Enough. Can’t you keep quiet for once? Go back to your room and sleep. This is still our house."

Liu Aihua was unafraid of him and crossed her arms, saying, "I’m staying right here. Either I stay here or I’ll leave too."

Liu Qin fell silent. He didn’t want to lose both his daughters.

Liu Aihua sneered.

Song Xiaoru brought over stools for Jiang Mingchuan and Jin Xiuzhu to sit down. Jiang Mingchuan ignored the father and daughter’s drama and directly said, "Let’s settle the matter from back then."

Hearing this, Liu Qin bent his back slightly.

Jin Xiuzhu looked at Jiang Mingchuan with approval. He wasn’t too stupid.

Jiang Mingchuan’s steady voice sounded again, "When my grandfather went out to do business, he met your father on the road. Your father was young, having escaped from a flood in his hometown while begging along the way. He was also running a high fever. My grandfather kindly saved him and took him back to work at the Bai family. Later, he supported all of you, ensuring that you didn’t lack food and clothing during those hard times. In other words, without my grandfather, there wouldn’t have been you. Doesn’t this count as a life-saving and nurturing grace?"

Liu Qin nodded silently.

Liu Aihua interjected, "What era are we in now? Why bring up these things?"

Jiang Mingchuan ignored her and continued, "When my mother entrusted my sister to you, didn’t she give you a house and enough money, as well as arrange jobs for you, ensuring your family’s livelihood?"

Liu Qin continued to nod.

Looking at Liu Qin and Song Xiaoru’s somewhat aged and dispirited faces, Jiang Mingchuan restrained his temper and asked, "Since I started earning a salary, haven’t I been sending you money every month? From five to ten yuan at first, to twenty to thirty yuan now. Even if you had just a bit of conscience, you shouldn’t have treated my sister so badly."

Song Xiaoru couldn’t help but whisper, "We didn’t mistreat..."

Before she could finish, Jiang Mingchuan’s icy gaze suddenly turned towards her, scaring Song Xiaoru into lowering her head.

"Didn’t mistreat?"

He suddenly raised his voice, "Didn’t mistreat, yet you wanted to marry her off to your nephew? Don’t you know what kind of person your nephew is? She’s my sister! Even if you had just a bit of concern for her, you wouldn’t have had such thoughts."

"It’s understandable that you favor your own children in daily life. But I assumed that since my mother chose you as my sister’s foster parents, there must have been something commendable about you. Did you live up to that? What about that house? What about the money for raising a child? What about the money I sent you every month? How much of it did you spend on my sister? You dressed your own children in nice clothes, while my sister could only wear patched, ill-fitting clothes. You let your own children do nothing, while my sister helped you with household chores. I won’t even mention these things. Now, I’ve learned that you let your daughter vent her anger on her whenever she wants. You were even more outrageous, planning to marry her off without her or my consent. I ask you, what right do you have? Where did you get the nerve to arrange her life like this?"

"My parents may be gone, but I, her older brother, am still here. Starting from now, my sister will have no further ties with your family. Our family doesn’t owe you anything. Everything will be settled with the matter of raising my sister."

Liu Jingzhi watched her brother speak up for her, tears welling up in her eyes. For the first time, she experienced the comfort of being protected.

Liu Qin and Song Xiaoru were left without words, but Liu Aihua retorted with a defiant tone, "You can't just dismiss it like that. Without my parents, she would have been dead long ago."

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t indulge her and sneered, "Without your parents, my sister would have lived a much better life."

She was adept at manipulating people and continued, "Don’t play tricks on us. I advise you to think more about yourself. Jingzhi has us protecting her, so she will naturally live a peaceful life in the future. As for you, your parents disregarded you, their biological child, and used the family’s house and money to support your uncle’s family. The money my husband sent every month should have been enough for your whole family to live well, yet you live in such poor conditions and eat poorly. It’s clear that little of that money was spent on you."

Hearing this, Liu Aihua’s expression changed.

"You parents prefer someone else’s son over you. When your cousin grows up and needs to get married, who knows who they’ll sell to get the money?"

Liu Aihua turned to look at her parents, resentment and suspicion in her eyes. It was evident that she had taken Jin Xiuzhu’s words to heart.

Song Xiaoru hurriedly said, "Don’t talk nonsense. We didn’t."

Jin Xiuzhu blocked her with a single sentence, "Your mouth says no, but your actions tell a different story. You’re a smart child. Don’t believe everything they say like Jingzhi does."

Liu Aihua believed herself to be smarter than her sister. She didn’t feel that her parents favored her; they were just guilty, guilty for not giving birth to her well.

Just as this fake aunt had said, if they truly favored her, they wouldn’t have used the house and money to support her uncle’s family.

These were originally hers.

Jiang Mingchuan continued, "We came here to tell you that Jingzhi has family to back her up. You took advantage of our family but failed to fulfill your responsibility to raise her properly. You were the ones who made the first mistake, and from now on, Jingzhi will be with us. Do as you please."

Jin Xiuzhu told Liu Jingzhi, "Go pack your things and come with us."

Liu Jingzhi hesitated before nodding. She withdrew her hand and turned to walk towards her room.

Jin Xiuzhu thought for a moment before following her. Liu Aihua also headed towards the room, fearing that she might take something that belonged to her.

Liu Jingzhi didn't take much, mainly because there wasn't much to take. She only grabbed the hat Jin Xiuzhu had given her a few days ago and some books she had brought back from school.

She looked at her bed one more time and prepared to grab the coat at the end of it. However, Liu Aihua interjected, "That's not your coat."

Liu Jingzhi paused, then retracted her hand.

The coat was something her mother had said she bought for her, but she intentionally bought it a bit smaller because her sister was short. Her sister didn't want to wear oversized clothes, so she had to make do. After buying it, her sister wore it, and now that it was worn out, it was her turn to use it.

Jin Xiuzhu smiled. "It's fine. Sister-in-law, I'll buy you new clothes tomorrow."

Liu Aihua heard this and huffed in anger.

Jin Xiuzhu took Liu Jingzhi's hand and said with a smile, "Let's go."

Liu Jingzhi hummed in agreement.

Once outside, when Jiang Mingchuan saw them emerge, he took his sister's belongings and then turned to walk away.

After everyone left, Liu Qin sighed and muttered, "What a mess."

Song Xiaoru glanced at the door, then at her husband. She moved her lips as if to speak but ultimately remained silent.

It was all her fault. If she hadn't agreed to let her brother come over, perhaps none of this would have happened.

Back at the guesthouse, Jin Xiuzhu asked Jiang Mingchuan to rearrange the beds, setting aside one for his sister to sleep in.

As Liu Jingzhi watched her brother and sister-in-law bustling about, her heart gradually felt secure.

Though they hadn't spent much time together, she inexplicably trusted them. Thinking about the future no longer filled her with confusion; instead, there was even a hint of anticipation.

Jin Xiuzhu also told her, "Originally, your brother and I planned to visit your foster parents tomorrow to discuss your situation. I told him to hold his temper. No matter what demands they made, as long as they weren't unreasonable, we would agree. People are the most important thing."

"It's just that such an incident occurred. Well, we can rest well tomorrow and leave the day after. I remember you mentioned that school starts on the eighteenth, so we still have a few days in the military camp. When the time comes, we'll take you out to play."

Liu Jingzhi nodded.

Jiang Mingchuan set up her bedding. "The quilt is a bit thin. I'll go get another one for you."

Liu Jingzhi quickly replied, "There's no need."

Jiang Mingchuan didn't listen and had already left.

Jin Xiuzhu smiled. "Your brother is happy. Let him do it."

Liu Jingzhi then showed a small smile.

That night, Jin Xiuzhu's family of four originally squeezed onto two beds. However, it became a bit cramped, especially since He Yan, sleeping on the side, tended to kick people. In the middle of the night, Fu Yanyan couldn't bear it anymore and directly crawled off the bed, moving to another nearby bed.

Half-awake and half-asleep, Liu Jingzhi suddenly found a soft, tiny body in her arms. Startled at first, she then heard the little girl's soft voice say, "Auntie, hug me."

Her heart softened, and she reached out to hold the child, pulling the blanket to cover the little girl's back, worried that she might catch a chill.

Smelling the sweet scent of the little girl, Liu Jingzhi soon fell asleep again. Perhaps due to having a child by her side, she slept soundly and even had a sweet dream.

When she woke up in the morning, she was smiling.

By the time she awoke, it was already light outside, and the little girl in her arms was long gone. The two children were sitting on the adjacent bed. Seeing that she had woken up, He Yan said, "Auntie, Mom said that when you wake up, you should go downstairs to wash up."

Liu Jingzhi glanced at her watch. It was already half past eight. She rarely slept in so late and felt a bit embarrassed. She asked, "Where are your mom and dad?"

"They're downstairs cooking."

"Oh, okay."

Liu Jingzhi got dressed and went downstairs. They were having porridge for breakfast, and Jiang Mingchuan had stir-fried two dishes. Jin Xiuzhu had also specially gone out to buy steamed buns and fried dough sticks.

The family of five enjoyed their meal heartily. Liu Jingzhi was very thin, so everyone encouraged her to eat more. She couldn't refuse and ended up with her cheeks puffed out from all the food stuffed into her mouth.

While eating, Jiang Mingchuan said, "When we return, change your surname. From now on, you'll follow your mother's surname Bai and be called Bai Jingzhi."

Bai Jingzhi.

Liu Jingzhi silently repeated the name twice in her mind and then nodded without objecting.

Ever since learning last night that she was adopted, especially after finding out about their plans to marry her off to her cousin, she felt a chill in her heart when recalling how her foster parents had favored her sister over the years.

She had never wronged them in any way. Over the years, seeing how hard her parents worked, she would cook meals every day after school and get up early to wash clothes and sweep the floor. She also followed their wishes regarding her sister, tolerating and yielding to them. Yet, this was how they treated her.

She was a person with flesh and blood, and she too hoped to receive love from her parents.

After breakfast, Jiang Mingchuan and He Yan took the bowls and chopsticks downstairs to wash. Liu Jingzhi wanted to help but was stopped by Jin Xiuzhu. "Let your brother do it. He's happy. Not to brag, but your brother and your nephew wash dishes cleaner than anyone else."

Liu Jingzhi gave Jin Xiuzhu a few more looks, then glanced at her brother, noticing the smile on the corner of Jiang Mingchuan's mouth. She didn't say anything.

Once Jiang Mingchuan and her brother went downstairs, Fu Yanyan remarked, "Mom just wants to be lazy."

Jin Xiuzhu lightly tapped her daughter's head in irritation.

The little girl seemed to have anticipated this and stuck out her bottom before running away.

Liu Jingzhi was amused by this.

Jin Xiuzhu snorted softly before saying to Liu Jingzhi, "As women, our skin is the most delicate. If possible, we should avoid doing rough work. Remember this when you get married in the future. Don't take on all the household chores. Even if you do everything and receive praise for it, what good does that do? It's not like you can spend compliments as money. You should be the one who cares about your own hands."

This was the first time Liu Jingzhi had heard such an argument, and she stared at Jin Xiuzhu with wide eyes. In the past, her mother and the neighbor aunts always told her to be diligent so that she would find a good husband, as mothers-in-law liked capable daughters-in-law.

However, she didn't think that way; she did those things just to make her parents' lives easier.

"But you can't avoid doing housework altogether. So you have to coax the men into doing it. If you have a son, you can also coax him to do it. They don't need soft skin."

Liu Jingzhi was shocked by her sister-in-law's thoughts, but upon further reflection, she felt there was some truth to them.

She couldn't help but ask, "What if they refuse to do anything?"

"You have to coax them with sweet words to get them to do it."

"What if they still refuse?"

"Then you just let things pile up. Whoever can't stand it anymore will do it."

Liu Jingzhi: "…"

So that was how it could be done.

In the morning, the family of five went to the department store again. This time, Jin Xiuzhu wanted to buy something. Anyway, while they were in the capital, Old Man Zhang and the other elders had given them many red envelopes, and they had only used a little of the money.

Jin Xiuzhu wasn't stingy with herself. She bought a new watch for herself, then got new clothes for the whole family. She also bought notebooks and pens for Liu Jingzhi and the two children, and finally bought some local snacks and candies to bring back for Wang Ling, the Wu family, and Fang Min.

Carrying their large and small packages back, they unexpectedly met Liu Aihua at the reception center.

The staff member said, "She came looking for you. I told her you were out, so she waited here."

Seeing them carrying so many things, Liu Aihua's eyes turned red with envy. Before coming, she had intended to warn Liu Jingzhi about her uncle and aunt's arrival, but now she didn't want to say anything.

Why should she?

Why should she suffer while her cousin could enjoy a good life with her biological brother and sister-in-law?

She pursed her lips and said somewhat resentfully, "My parents said they want to talk to you again. Now is a new era, and whatever happened in the past occurred before the founding of the country. It doesn't count anymore. No matter what, Liu Jingzhi was raised by us. How can you just take her away? If you insist, my father knows your address. It wouldn't look good if he makes a scene at the military unit, right?"

That last sentence was her own addition, but the message was clear—they weren't going to let her go.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mingchuan's face darkened.

Liu Aihua was still a bit afraid of him, "I'm just repeating what they said."

After saying this, she turned and ran away.

Jin Xiuzhu asked Jiang Mingchuan, "What should we do?"

"Let's go. Later, I'll visit the police station and find a police officer to witness and document everything in black and white. That way, they won't be able to renege later."

Jin Xiuzhu nodded, thinking it was a good idea. However, she added, "How about this: you explain the situation to the police officer, then go to the Machinery Plant with him to find their leader. Have the plant's leadership send someone over to witness as well."

"If they dare to threaten us like this, we can't be too weak. Otherwise, they'll take advantage of us, and we'll have endless trouble."

Liu Jingzhi looked worriedly at her brother and sister-in-law, feeling guilty for causing them trouble.

Jiang Mingchuan nodded. "Okay. You guys go up first. I'll head to the police station now."

Jin Xiuzhu and Liu Jingzhi took the things from his hands and watched him leave.

Back in their room at the reception center, Liu Jingzhi anxiously paced around, occasionally peeking out the window. Jin Xiuzhu and the two children, however, seemed completely relaxed. They tried on their new clothes, laughing and chatting.

Jin Xiuzhu comforted her, "Don't worry. Your brother is handling it. Trust him; he's reliable."

Liu Jingzhi was still concerned. "My adoptive parents must have changed their minds because of my uncle and aunt. Otherwise, they wouldn't say such things. They...are difficult to deal with."

By "they," she meant her uncle and aunt.

Jin Xiuzhu remained calm. "It's fine. I'm here too."

What kind of people hadn't she seen before?

After saying this, she happily picked up her clothes to try them on again. She even put on one of Jiang Mingchuan's shirts. He Yan acted like a little flatterer, praising Jin Xiuzhu no matter what she wore.

Liu Jingzhi admired their positive attitude. She bit her lip and sat on the bed but couldn't resist getting up every now and then to check outside the window.

Jiang Mingchuan was gone for quite a while. When he returned, he brought three people with him: two male police officers and a middle-aged woman wearing work attire.

After brief introductions, they headed toward Liu Qin's home. On the way, they passed by the state-owned hotel, and Jin Xiuzhu asked them to wait while she went inside to buy a large bag of buns. "Has everyone eaten yet? You've been through so much trouble. Thank you for making another trip."

Then she distributed steamed buns to everyone.

The two police officers and the woman politely accepted the food. Perhaps because they felt indebted to her, the three of them discussed the matter more carefully.

The middle-aged woman asked, "Do you have any evidence regarding the house and money left by your mother? If there's no proof, and they deny everything, it might be difficult to resolve."

One of the police officers said, "That shouldn't be a problem. We can check records. As long as we know which house it is, we can find out. Didn't their family hit and kill someone before? If we locate the family that received compensation, we can figure it out."

If this were anyone else, they might have simply directed Jiang Mingchuan to the neighborhood committee. But Jiang Mingchuan's case was different. His parents were heroes who had made great sacrifices for the country. The leaders, upon learning about this, instructed the officers to handle the matter properly, no matter how troublesome it might be. They couldn't let down the descendants of heroes.

The middle-aged woman nodded. "Good. I remember that incident. I can testify."

Jiang Mingchuan said, "Thank you."

When they arrived at the Liu residence, they coincidentally saw Liu Qin hurrying back downstairs. Liu Qin had been at work today and didn't know what had happened. All he knew was that his team leader suddenly told him that the leadership had instructed him to return home to deal with a family matter.

He thought his wife and daughter were fighting again. Now that he saw Jiang Mingchuan coming with the police and the factory director, he was startled. "What's this about?"

Director Lin glanced at Liu Qin. "Let's go to your house and talk it over."

Liu Qin wanted to ask more, but everyone ignored him. He stepped aside to let them go upstairs first, and Jiang Mingchuan didn't hesitate to lead the way.

When the adopted daughter passed by him, Liu Qin tried to say something, but she immediately lowered her head.

After a pause, he said nothing.

The door to the Liu residence was open, and Jiang Mingchuan led the police inside. The living room in the Liu household was too small; after Jiang Mingchuan, the police, and Director Lin entered, there was barely any standing room left.

Jin Xiuzhu stood at the door with Liu Jingzhi and the two children as Liu Qin squeezed through them. When he saw his wife's younger brother and his family sitting next to her, he felt a sudden darkness before his eyes. He immediately knew who was behind this and couldn't help yelling, "You still went to them! What did I tell you? I told you not to look for your brother's family anymore. Hasn't he caused enough trouble for us? Do you have any sense at all?"

Song Xiaoru looked at her angry husband and lowered her head guiltily, not daring to speak.

Yu Xiali hurriedly said, "Brother-in-law, don't be angry. Let's discuss our family matters later. First, we need to resolve this issue."

"Our family matters are none of your business."

"How can they not be? We're family, aren't we? Let me tell you, you and my sister worked hard to raise your daughter. How could she just run off like that? Was all the food and drink free? Were all those years of affection free? We should at least get back what we invested, right? Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about Aihua. She still needs to go to college."

Sitting beside them, Liu Aihua nodded vigorously. "Dad, are you going to abandon me?"

Song Youfu also chimed in, "Brother-in-law, the older niece is enjoying herself, but what about the younger one? What will happen to her?"

Knowing that he couldn't argue with them, Liu Qin pleaded, "I beg you, please leave. This is our family matter, and we'll handle it ourselves."

The couple pretended not to hear and turned to comfort their sister instead.

Liu Qin painfully hit his head with his hand. Song Xiaoru looked at him with concern. "Liu Qin, don't do that."

Liu Qin said, "Make them leave, or we're getting a divorce."

Song Xiaoru stammered, "I..."

Song Youfu quickly interjected, "Sis, don't listen to your husband. He's just being stupid. You need to think about yourself and the kids. No matter what happens, even if you get divorced, you still have us."

Liu Aihua also urged, "Mom, I want to go to college."

Song Xiaoru fell silent.

Jiang Mingchuan interrupted the commotion. "Have you reached an agreement yet? If so, those who are not directly involved should leave now."

As he said this, he looked at the couple next to Song Xiaoru.

Yu Xiali and Song Youfu's faces immediately fell. "What do you mean 'not directly involved'? This is my sister's house."

Jiang Mingchuan's accompanying police officer stepped forward. "You said it yourself: your sister's house. What does it have to do with you? Get out!"

"We're here to stand up for our sister."

Jiang Mingchuan scolded, "This is not your place to decide. Get out!"

Yu Xiali and Song Youfu tried to say more, but the two police officers intervened. "If you won't leave, then we'll take everyone down to the station."

Upon hearing this, Yu Xiali and Song Youfu reluctantly got up and left, but they didn't go far. They stood at the doorway, making faces at the mother and daughter inside.

Liu Qin felt a sudden relief. He said directly, "There's nothing to discuss. You can leave. We don't want any compensation. Our family has wronged Jingzhi and the Bai family."

Liu Aihua quickly protested, "Dad, I don't agree."

Liu Qin wouldn't budge.

Liu Aihua tugged at her mother's clothes, and the couple at the door also urged, "Sis, say something."

Song Xiaoru opened her mouth and hesitated before saying, "No, we need money."

Liu Qin became angry. "Song Xiaoru."

Song Xiaoru lowered her head and said in a tearful voice, "Old Liu, we still have our younger daughter."

Liu Qin looked at her in disappointment. "If you really cared about Aihua, our family wouldn't have ended up like this."

Hearing this, Liu Aihua's eyes flashed with anger, but she tried to suppress her temper and coaxed her mother. "Mom, I'm grown up now. You need to consider me."

Song Xiaoru softly agreed and then looked up at Jiang Mingchuan. "We want one thousand."

Before Jiang Mingchuan could respond, Song Youfu and his wife at the door panicked. "No, two thousand. They have the money."

Looking at this shameless couple and then at his own wife, Liu Qin said, "You've lost your minds."

Song Xiaoru heard this but didn't dare to ask for such a high amount. After all, Jiang Mingchuan had been sending money over the years and probably didn't have that much on him.

Sure enough, Jiang Mingchuan replied, "We don't have that much."

Liu Aihua immediately retorted, "How can you not have it? You just went shopping."

Seeing many neighbors gathering to watch the spectacle, Jin Xiuzhu stepped forward and loudly declared, "I know what you're planning. You think we love our child and will pay whatever you demand. But we're ordinary people without the means or money. You haven't treated your sister well, and I simply want to bring her back and care for her. There's nothing wrong with that. If you didn't want to raise her from the start, you should have said so. Instead, you took my mother-in-law's house and money but failed to properly care for Jingzhi. We haven't criticized or scolded you, which shows how lenient we've been. Why do you keep pushing us?"

Hearing these words and comparing them to the attitude of her foster mother and brother-in-law, Liu Jingzhi, standing outside, teared up. For the first time, she vividly felt the coldness and exploitation of her relatives. To them, she was merely a tool to threaten her brother-in-law and extort money.

Unable to hold back, she stepped forward and angrily shouted, "Why should we give you so much money? Have you been good to me? If so, can the household chores I've done since childhood also be compensated? Will you give me money for that?"

"Don't push us too far. You took my biological mother's house and money, and my brother has been sending you money for years. What else do you want? Fine, I won't leave. I'll stay here, and you won't get a single cent!"