Chapter 146

Chapter 146

Lu Mingzhu hated it when people kept her in suspense the most, so she asked what it was.

Lu Zhangling stopped being mysterious and said to her, "You and Xie Junyao are engaged, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, you will be their daughter-in-law. Will you go with them to attend the funeral?"

"Funeral? Who died?" Lu Mingzhu asked.

Xie Junyao had no feelings for his parents, and Xie Junhao had a distant relationship with them. He sent them back to Shanghai to live, simply because he didn’t want them to stay and be a nuisance.

Lu Mingzhu had always admired Xie Junhao’s decisiveness.

Lu Zhangling, unaware of the inside story, told Lu Mingzhu, "The one who died is Xie Chenggong, and the cause of death is not very honorable."

He died of a sudden stroke during intercourse.

Although the new marriage law was implemented in the country, requiring monogamy and no concubines, Xie Chenggong had taken concubines before the founding of the country and had lived in Britain and Hong Kong for many years, did not recognize the new marriage law. Those who followed him had their own agendas, so they were unwilling to leave.

After returning to Shanghai, they did not go back to their hometown but chose to live in Shanghai.

With lower prices than Hong Kong and doubled living expenses, Xie Chenggong and Mrs. Xie felt right at home, attending dance parties every weekend and living a very comfortable life.

However, the good times didn’t last long.

Upon hearing the news of Xie Chenggong’s death, Lu Mingzhu was not happy.

Xie Junyao was already swamped, and now he had to deal with his father’s funeral arrangements.

Xie Junhao had sent his classmates north and had not returned, so it fell to Xie Junyao to handle it.

With a deep frown, Lu Mingzhu asked Lu Zhangling, "When did he die? I had dinner with Junyao yesterday and didn’t hear him mention it. I suppose he didn’t know about it. Wasn’t anyone notified to go back and arrange the funeral?"

It was quite peculiar.

Lu Zhangling and others took a luxury cruise ship and arrived in Hong Kong in just three days, while letters between Shanghai and Hong Kong could be delivered in four or five days at the fastest, with dedicated ships shuttling between the two cities.

Hearing Lu Mingzhu’s question, Lu Zhangling told her, "Two days before we arrived, the Xie family conducted a grand funeral."

Lu Mingzhu found it even stranger, "Junyao and his elder brother were not there. Who published the obituary? Who arranged the funeral?"

No matter what, Xie Junhao was the eldest son, and Xie Junyao was the second son. No one could circumvent them to handle Xie Chenggong’s funeral, including Mrs. Xie herself.

Lu Zhangling replied, "It was the second young master of the Xie family and a few other young masters."

Xie Chenggong had illegitimate sons, not just one or two, but seven or eight, not counting those who died young. The oldest was only a year younger than Xie Junhao, a middle-aged man in his forties who already had grandchildren. He refused to establish his own household, staying with Xie Chenggong under the guise of filial piety, overseeing household matters for his parents. Others followed suit.

Xie Junhao only paid for his parents’ living expenses and disregarded everyone else. If his parents were willing to support a bunch of freeloaders, they would have to use their own private funds.

They all had money, not as poor as one might imagine. Claiming to be penniless was just a way to squeeze more living expenses out of him.

Lu Mingzhu, being very smart, said, "Are they worried that Junhao and Junyao will return and contest the inheritance, so they acted first? Third brother, did you attend the funeral? What was the situation?"

Given Lu Zhangling’s disposition, he wouldn’t have missed it.

Lu Zhangling smiled, "The elder Mr. Xie is well-known in Hong Kong, and many prominent figures in Shanghai have heard of him. Most of them attended the funeral, offering substantial condolences. They voiced their dissatisfaction that the elder Mr. Xie and Young Mr. Xie were not present, but the illegitimate sons of the Xie family ignored it. After the funeral, they split the condolence gifts and the gold and silver treasures from Xie Chenggong’s house, then all fled."

For this reason, he and Wang Zhongzhao lingered for an additional two days to observe the aftermath.

Lu Mingzhu was stunned, "Didn't Mrs. Xie do anything about it?"

She was ruthless in her mistreatment of Xie Junyao.

Lu Zhangling gave a shrug, "She was locked up and didn't attend the funeral. The Xie family's sons from a concubine claimed she was too grief-stricken and bedridden. Wang Zhongzhao, who loves stirring up trouble, sensed something was amiss. Right after the funeral, he quietly took me to free Mrs. Xie. Fortunately, we arrived in time because when we got there, the sons from a concubine were already moving her valuable jewelry and items out of her room."

Thinking back on the scene, Lu Zhangling was still amazed.

Mrs. Xie was beautiful and had many valuable jewelry and items. Some were scattered on the floor during the scramble, sparkling brilliantly, while others were pocketed by the servants.

Lu Mingzhu blurted out, "Isn't this just plain stealing?"

"It was just plain stealing," Lu Zhangling shook his head. "Mrs. Xie was too frightened to remain in Shanghai and quickly packed her things to stay at the International Hotel. She bought a ship ticket and came to Hong Kong with us."

Lu Mingzhu let out a soft sigh, "Junyao must have found out by now."

Mrs. Xie and Lu Zhangling arrived during the day, while Xie Junyao had returned the previous night.

After having dinner together, he returned to the company to take care of work, coming back late at night and sleeping soundly until the sun was high. He had already told Lu Mingzhu he wouldn't be up by five, so they didn't meet in the morning.

During breakfast, the butler reported the phone call he received the day before.

"Madam came back to Hong Kong by herself yesterday and has already moved into the house in Repulse Bay. She called to ask you and the Young Master to come by. I told her you hadn't returned from work and the Young Master was away on business, so she hung up," the butler recounted.

Xie Junyao frowned in annoyance, "Didn't she agree to live in Shanghai and not come back?"

Why come back? Just to cause trouble.

The thought of their arrival causing trouble for him and his brother made him very irritable.

The butler looked down and said, "Madam said that after the master passed away, the funeral was held on the third day, organized by the sons from a concubine. Not only did they divide the funeral offerings and the master's gold and silver treasures that day, but they also nearly took her belongings. Fortunately, Wang Zhongzhao from the Wang family and Lu Zhangling from the Lu family appeared and stopped their rampage."

Xie Junyao was shocked, "Such a thing happened?"

He had underestimated those guys.

The butler nodded, "Will you be visiting Madam in Repulse Bay today? I can arrange the car."

At the time, they thought selling the house in Repulse Bay would only fetch a few hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars, which wouldn't significantly impact the family business. Since good land was hard to come by, Xie Junhao didn't sell it, resulting in the house welcoming back its original owner.

Xie Junyao frowned in thought.

After pondering for a moment, he instructed the butler, "Have the people at the house in Repulse Bay take good care of Madam. I'll go with my brother after he returns. First, send someone to Shanghai to find out the specifics."

When he left the house, he had to change his red tie to a black one.

Shortly after arriving at the company, he received a call from Lu Mingzhu.

"Did you find out?" Lu Mingzhu's tone was filled with concern.

She felt sorry for Xie Junyao's plight and was even more disgusted by Mrs. Xie's appearance. Every time she appeared, it reminded Xie Junyao of how she had mistreated him when he was defenseless.

Xie Junyao smiled faintly, "I just found out this morning. I'll handle it after my brother returns."

The master has already been buried, so going early or late makes no difference.

Say he's cold or heartless, but he truly had no feelings for the master or Mrs. Xie.

Lu Mingzhu hummed in agreement and said to Xie Junyao, "Let me know if there's anything I can do to assist."

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Mingzhu, rest well at home and don't worry about me." Xie Junyao wasn't as fragile as she thought; he wasn't that helpless child anymore.

Lu Mingzhu murmured, "Junyao, don't always be busy with work; remember to balance work and leisure."

Xie Junyao agreed readily, "I'll take a break once my brother is back, definitely a long one."

"Great, I'll join you on your break then." Lu Mingzhu made the promise, thinking it was highly unlikely Xie Junyao would get leave, as Xie Junhao clearly wanted to train him.

Xie Junyao brightened at the promise but then sighed, "The old man passed away at the worst time, really messing things up for me."

Lu Mingzhu pretended not to understand, deliberately asking, "How did it mess things up for you?"

"After a father dies, you have to mourn for three years. If you don’t marry during that period, you’ll have to wait three years." Three years from now? I'll be thirty-one, past thirty.

But Xie Junyao knew that marrying within a hundred days was out of the question.

Lu Mingzhu thought it over and decided it was just fine. "It's just three years; can't you wait?"

Xie Junyao quickly replied, "I can wait, it just feels too long."

He planned to get engaged first and marry in about two years, but now it's been delayed by his father's death.

"Okay, okay, stop overthinking it." Lu Mingzhu stopped him from continuing.

After hanging up, she went back to writing her script.

After Lu Zhangling left.

It was rare for her to receive a gift from Lu Zhangling that wasn't for a birthday or engagement.

These paintings and calligraphy might not be worth much now, but they will be someday, so she stashed them all in the basement and kept the silk in the wardrobe for future use.

Wang Zhongzhao, who had come into several million Hong Kong dollars, was also handing out gifts.

He first sent gifts to his mother, brother, and sister-in-law, then returned to fetch the jade geese, silk, and paintings he'd set aside for Lu Mingzhu, only to find the cheap paintings still there, but the silk and jade geese missing.

"What happened to the stuff I bought?" Wang Zhongzhao asked Mo Shuxian with a stern face.

Mo Shuxian said unhappily, "Xiuyi took the silk to have a cheongsam made, and I put the jade geese away. What? Aren't they for us? The color and pattern of the silk are clearly for women."

The jade geese were also small and delicate, mostly bracelets, pendants, and earrings.

Wang Zhongzhao said angrily, "I bought them as a gift; who said you could decide what to do with them? Get them out for me."

"No way!" Mo Shuxian snapped.

The older she gets, the more anxious she becomes.

Every morning and night, she'd look in the mirror and see the wrinkles creeping around her eyes, terrified that Wang Zhongzhao would fall for someone else, even though she had already given birth to his child, and they had been together for over twenty years.

She is old, the wife is here.

In Shanghai, she didn't even get the status of a concubine; it was only after coming to Hong Kong and registering her identity according to Qing law that she became Wang Zhongzhao's concubine.

No need for the consent of parents or the wife.

A man at forty is in his prime, and Wang Zhongzhao's money was originally limited, but now isn't he sharing a large inheritance?

Although the exact amount is unknown, the excitement evident in Wang Zhongzhao’s expression indicates that it must be substantial. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be willing to spend a large sum of money on a pile of gifts, undoubtedly for a young woman.

Wang Zhongzhao was nearly driven mad by the short-sighted Mo Shuxian. "These gifts are for Lu Mingzhu! She’s Mr. He’s goddaughter and Mr. Lu Yanzhi’s legitimate daughter. If she’s willing, with just a word, she could surely find a good match for Xiuyi. How could you take these things without my permission? I haven’t deprived you of food or clothing."

Mo Shuxian remained unmoved.

Although she lived comfortably, it was far from what she desired.

Without more respectable jewelry, she had worn the same jade bracelet for many years. When asked why she always wore it, she could only say it was her cherished possession, a love token from Wang Zhongzhao.

In contrast, Liao Wanru alternated between various precious jewels, and at a banquet last year, she dazzled everyone with a complete set of jade jewelry.

Mo Shuxian, watching from a corner, felt jealousy eating away at her heart.

It was rumored to be from the same material as the centerpiece of Mingzhu Diamond Jewelry Store.

Mo Shuxian also heard from people at the scene that any piece of jewelry crafted from this material, even a single jade ring, would be worth tens of thousands, while her bracelet had only cost tens of thousands of silver dollars.

Though it was green, it lacked transparency and luster.

They were simply incomparable.

"Lu Mingzhu won’t bring Xiuyi along to play. What’s the point of trying to win her favor? It’s better to use these things on us, mother and daughter. When we’re well-dressed, it enhances your reputation when we’re out," Mo Shuxian saw clearly that it was best to keep a respectful distance from someone like Lu Mingzhu, avoiding enmity, as they could never be close.

Wang Zhongzhao pointed at her nose, "You don’t get it at all!"

His gift-giving wasn’t just for Wang Xiuyi; it was also a gesture of gratitude.

Even though his two younger brothers were usually quiet, they remembered to prepare gifts for everyone, including Lu Mingzhu, without any prior communication.

Wang Zhongzhao went straight to the bedroom, rummaging through the cabinets.

He not only retrieved the jade geese he had purchased but also most of the silk Mo Shuxian had said she would take to the tailor for Wang Xiuyi’s clothes.

Disregarding Mo Shuxian’s protests, Wang Zhongzhao personally loaded the gifts into the car and drove away.

An ordinary car could be purchased for $2000, and for the convenience of his family, Wang Zhongzhao had bought one shortly after arriving in Hong Kong. After years of use, he planned to upgrade to a Mercedes-Benz once he received his inheritance.

Dignified, generous, and with an air of grandeur.

Whether it was the Mercedes-Benz or the property he planned to acquire, Wang Zhongzhao planned to register everything under his name.

Originally, he had planned to buy a building and a shop for Mo Shuxian and their children, with the rent serving as their pocket money, but now he changed his mind.

If Mo Shuxian realized that her actions had cost her and her children a significant amount, she would surely regret it deeply.

Unaware, she only resented Wang Zhongzhao for his lack of conscience.

Yet she didn’t realize that if Wang Zhongzhao had any conscience, he wouldn’t have abandoned his first wife and legitimate son to live with her.

To this day, she was simply facing the consequences of her actions.

The unscrupulous Wang Zhongzhao arrived without a hitch at Lu Mingzhu’s residence. Before entering, he dialed back his usual attitude with Mo Shuxian, becoming courteous and projecting an image of integrity and trustworthiness.

With his naturally pleasant appearance, everyone who saw him felt he was trustworthy.

Once inside, Wang Zhongzhao grew even more careful.

Besides He Yun, there were also the Ceng Mei couple, whom he had met in Shanghai, having tea with Lu Mingzhu, discussing the Shau Kei Wan mansion they had recently purchased after early mornings and late nights.