Chapter 653: You Should Thank Her

Chapter 653: You Should Thank Her

Commander Tan ultimately compromised.

At the very least, he could keep tabs on He Dongqi. If that boy ever dared mistreat Tan Lizhu, the entire Tan family would stand up for her.

When Wei Xiuru received the invitation from the Tan family, she was practically overjoyed.

Just last time, the old man had told her that Commander Tan wouldn’t agree to this marriage.

She couldn’t calm down for the longest time—it felt like a dream, making her lightheaded with excitement.

"What’s going on? How did the He family change their minds so suddenly?"

He Jingyi shot her a look and said irritably, "Isn’t this what you wanted? You’ve always wanted Tan Lizhu as your daughter-in-law."

Wei Xiuru snorted. "Who likes her? It’s the Tan family I care about! Once we’re connected by marriage, out of respect for Commander Tan, the old man will have to show our Dongqi more respect! Think about it—would Commander Tan ever let Lizhu live in this dump of ours?"

He Jingyi shrugged. "So what if he doesn’t like it? What’s he gonna do about it?"

Wei Xiuru rolled her eyes. "If he just mentions it to the old man, the old man would have to take us back!"

She dreamed of returning to live in that Western-style mansion.

He Jingyi paused, considering it carefully—it did make sense.

"Should we invite the old man? With him there, they wouldn’t dare ask for the moon."

She and He Jingyi didn’t have much money on hand. Used to throwing money around, they couldn’t control their expenses.

They couldn’t afford much for the "Three Major Items," much less a decent bride price.

He Jingyi nodded. "Let’s go see Dad and have dinner there tonight."

Ever since they moved out, nothing had gone right.

They’d gone through one housekeeper after another, but none of them could cook to their liking.

Unfortunately, Aunt Xu was needed to take care of the old man, so she wasn’t an option. The best they could do was occasionally drop by for a meal.

When they arrived at the He family residence, of course, they ran into Jiang Yu again.

Wei Xiuru muttered to the man beside her, "What a brown-noser, always coming over to butter up the old man, sweet-talking your dad out of everything!"

"A scheming woman like that—what your son sees in her is beyond me."

"If Lizhu were that kind of girl, even if she came from royalty, I’d never agree to her being with Dongqi."

He Jingyi sighed helplessly. "Keep your voice down! If the old man hears you, he’ll be upset again."

Wei Xiuru instantly changed her expression, her face lit up with a smile as she approached the old man.

If she had a tail, it’d be wagging like crazy by now.

"Old man, the Tan family invited us over for dinner tomorrow."

The old man’s eyes wrinkled with amusement. "I already know. It’s all thanks to Jiang Yu’s help—you should thank her."

Wei Xiuru’s face stiffened. "What?"

The old man patiently explained to her, "Thanks to Jiang Yu going over to mediate, otherwise they wouldn’t have even considered Dongqi. You should thank Jiang Yu."

Wei Xiuru scoffed, "Who does she think she is? Since when does Commander Tan take orders from her?"

Old Master He's face darkened, "If you don’t know how to speak properly, get out now, and don’t bother coming back in the future! If I hadn’t swallowed my pride and asked Jiang Yu for help, do you think she would have agreed?"

Wei Xiuru was furious and wanted to retort, but He Jingyi stopped her.

"Dad, she's got no tact. Please don’t be angry."

The old man remained silent, his face cold.

Jiang Yu, on the other hand, smiled at him, not interrupting.

The atmosphere was tense. He Jingyi held back his frustration and forced a smile at Jiang Yu.

"Your Aunt Wei just doesn’t know how to speak. Don’t mind her."

Jiang Yu said coolly, "Why would I mind? Just dogs yapping."

Old Master He—

That was too far, but he didn’t dare say anything to Jiang Yu.

Wei Xiuru only fumed for a moment before quickly got over it quick.

No matter what Jiang Yu said, as long as He Dongqi and Tan Lizhu could be together, she was happy.

"Old Master, we figured—since we’re discussing Dongqi’s marriage tomorrow, you being his grandpa and all, should be there. How about joining us?"

The old man had already said he wouldn’t go, and with Jiang Yu present, he certainly wouldn’t go back on his word.

"I won’t be going. You sort it out yourselves. I’ll be there come wedding day."

Wei Xiuru’s face fell, but she didn’t dare argue with the old man’s decision.

No matter how unhappy she was, she had to endure it.

"If you don’t come, what if Dongqi gets bullied later?"

The old man snorted, "What kinda bullshit is that? The boy’s grown—who could bully him? If Lizhu is willing to marry him, he oughta be kissing the ground she walks on."

Wei Xiuru naturally disagreed. "All Tan Lizhu’s got going for her is family. Otherwise, I’d say she’s not even good enough for Dongqi."

The old man ignored her—nothing but hot air.

Even without considering background, He Dongqi wasn’t fit to lick the boots of Tan Lizhu.

In terms of character and ability, the two weren’t compatible at all.

If it were his own granddaughter, he wouldn’t want this marriage either.

But everyone has their biases. He also wanted to land some class for that no-good grandson, maybe she’ll straighten him out.

"Old Master, where will Lizhu and Dongqi live after they get married?"

The old man gave her a look like she’d lost her mind.

"Ain’t you got that house we gave you? What kinda stupid question is that now?"

Wei Xiuru gave an awkward smile. "I'm just worried Lizhu might feel wronged. She's Commander Tan's granddaughter, spoiled rotten since childhood."

The old man said coldly, "Then what do you mean?"

Wei Xiuru explained slowly, "After Dongqi gets married, he might have to return to the military. If Lizhu gets pregnant and has a child, our place doesn’t even have a proper bathroom—wouldn’t that humiliate her?"

"Dongqi’s child would be your great-grandson. Could you bear to see him suffer?"

She had already figured it out—Commander Tan, if only for Lizhu’s sake, would have to promote He Dongqi.

His past mistakes were irrelevant. Whether he could return to the military was all up to Commander Tan.

But the old man thought she was out of her mind.

The marriage wasn’t even settled, yet she had already revealed her greed.

Sometimes he even felt that if this marriage fell through, it would be for the best.

"You want to move back here?" he called out Wei Xiuru’s plan.

Wei Xiuru forced another smile, avoiding the old man’s sharp gaze.

"I only want what’s best for you. With a great-grandson by your side in the future, you’d be happier, and your health would improve."

Jiang Yu sneered. Wei Xiuru’s attitude was truly disgusting—she might as well have ‘schemer’ stamped on her forehead.

Fortunately, the old man was still clear-headed and didn’t agree.

"Once the family split up, there’s no reason to move back."

He Jingyi cleared his throat, about to speak, but the old man cut him off. "Keep your mouth shut too."

He Jingyi: "Dad—"

"I know what you want to say, but I said no, and that’s final. Stop dreaming."

To kill any hope, the old man outright kicked them out. "Go home. Tomorrow when you visit the Tan family, I won’t be there. And don’t you dare throw my name around to bully them—I’m not involved in this."

Jiang Yu was right. If he went, it would look like we’re forcing their hand.

With him present, the Tan family wouldn’t dare speak freely.