Chapter 319

Chapter 319

Wang Zhongzhao wasn’t falling for the old man’s tricks.

He rolled his eyes at Wang Xingcai. “How old are you? Give it a rest and quit nagging.”

Did he really think Wang Zhongzhao was clueless about his scheme?

It was nothing more than fear—fear that after his death, Wang Zhongzhao wouldn’t leave the family fortune to Zhen Zhen and Wang Yan. So, he wanted him to give them something in advance. As long as they didn’t squander it, it would be enough to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

Wang Xingcai spluttered indignantly. “I’m only thinking of you. Listen, Wang Zhongzhao, I’m your walking example. If you don’t make your younger wife feel the severe consequences of forcing you to make a will, she’ll hound you to the grave! It’s not impossible she might play the treacherous wife like Pan Jinlian did with Wu Dalang and serve you poisoned medicine.”

“Absolutely not,” Wang Zhongzhao replied without hesitation.

Not only did he understand, but Mo Shuxian did too. Once he’s dead, the biggest beneficiary would be Zhen Zhen, not Mo Shuxian or the two children she bore.

She would never let anything happen to Wang Zhongzhao.

“You’re missing the point,” Wang Xingcai said, pouring himself a cup of tea without expecting any filial piety from his son.

The father and son had arranged to meet at a teahouse.

Wang Xingcai hadn’t invited him to his own residence, nor had he gone to Wang Zhongzhao’s.

Wang Zhongzhao grabbed the tea Wang Xingcai poured and gulped it down. “Explain then—what don’t I get? Let me tell you, when it comes to human nature and social dynamics, I understand better than you.”

“Desperation drives people to extremes. It’s not impossible she might drag you down with her,” Wang Xingcai said. “I’ve heard a little about Mo Shuxian’s family. Doesn’t she have a younger sister named Mo Shuhui who’s with Ming Hui? If she’d killed Ming Hui, I’d have respected her backbone. But instead, she tormented her own daughter—her stubbornness speaks volumes. With a sister like that, do you really think Mo Shuxian wouldn’t follow the same path?”

Long before confronting Wang Zhongzhao, Wang Xingcai had done his homework.

Wang Zhongzhao swallowed hard, hesitating. “No way, right? Mo Shuxian and I have been together for over thirty years. I like to think I know her well.”

Once charming, tender, and devoted, she had now become vicious and unhinged.

In contrast, Zhen Zhen remained as beautiful as ever, poised and unflappable.

Thinking of his first wife, whom he’d seen at his nephew’s wedding, and his long-neglected but dashing eldest son, Wang Zhongzhao couldn’t quite describe the ache in his chest.

Wang Xingcai said gravely, “As someone who’s been through it, I’m telling you—you never know what people will do. When backed into a corner, women like her are capable of anything. Don’t wait until it’s too late to learn the meaning of regret. Though, judging by what I’m saying, you wouldn’t even have the strength to write it—you’d already be dead from the poison your younger wife fed you.”

Wang Zhongzhao nearly choked in fury. “Says the man one sip away from a funeral! There’s a thirty-year age gap between you and your mistress, isn’t there? You’re over seventy, and she’s barely past forty. Who’s to say she won’t get tired of waiting on an old man like you one day, slip you some poison, inherit your fortune, and then remarry someone her own age? Just like Uncle Lu’s fourth concubine, Liu Rumei—she married some British noble and is living it up. If Lu Changgen hadn’t rushed his wedding and failed to notify her, you’d have definitely seen her there.”

They were at each other’s throats as father and son traded barbs.

Back and forth they went, until it suddenly dawned on them that they were the only two in the Wang family with mistresses. They exchanged a glance, and like popped balloons, their anger fizzled out.

Unable to resist, Wang Zhongzhao sneered, “You used to curse me, saying how could you have a son like me. Turns out, I’m the one who takes after you the most.”

“Yes, like father, like son,” Wang Xingcai replied indifferently.

At their age, regret no longer mattered. What mattered was that he’d made peace with it.

He spoke earnestly to Wang Zhongzhao. “Precisely because we’re so alike, I’m urging you to mend things with Wang Yan sooner rather than later. Whether you forgive him or not, you need to play fair. Take a page from your elder brother’s book.”

Wang Zhongzhao balked. “Show me the money first, and I’ll give him some.”

Easy to spend other people’s cash, isn’t it?

Wang Xingcai scoffed. “If I had money, would I be sitting in this teahouse drinking tea with you? I’d have invited you to my grand estate and served you the priceless Da Hong Pao tea from Wuyi Mountain.”

"I don't have money either," Wang Zhongzhao played poor. "I'm not as good at business as my elder brother. I can only eat through my savings."

"Bullshit! Do you think I don't know the properties under your name alone are worth ten to twenty million yuan? You're richer than I am. I’ve got nothing under my name—not a single house, just the construction company and a factory that Mingzhu and her father started." Wang Xingcai couldn’t help but see his son in a new light. He had previously assumed the boy would squander the inheritance he’d given him.

Wang Zhongzhao snorted, "You must be mistaken."

He denied it outright.

Wang Xingcai kicked him under the table. "What’s your problem with giving Wang Yan a few properties? He’s your own son, and a son who’s got both looks and brains. If I treated you like this, how would you feel? Back then, you nearly came at me with a knife."

"How can you compare to me? At least I didn’t dump my wife and remarry." Wang Zhongzhao suddenly realized he was less of a hypocrite than his father.

Wang Xingcai snorted coldly. "That’s only because you didn’t have the chance. Back then, if your mother and I hadn’t threatened to cut you off financially, you would’ve divorced long ago."

"At least I didn’t hide it from the world for over a decade like you did." Wang Zhongzhao still believed he was the better person.

Wang Xingcai lost interest in arguing. He stood shakily, leaning on the tea table. "If I’d known you were this stingy, I wouldn’t have bothered coming. Wasted a whole table of snacks on you. Pitiful—this old man, past seventy, worked hard all his life, only to end up feeling like I owe you something. You won’t listen to my advice, but you’re first in line for my cash."

Seeing his father’s demeanor and theatrics, Wang Zhongzhao felt a complex mix of emotions.

"If you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?" He waved over a waiter and paid the bill. "At your age, you should focus on enjoying your retirement. Stop lecturing this one and that one. I’m old enough to know better—I know what I should and shouldn’t do. I don’t need you dictating to me."

"I’m afraid by the time you reach my age, you’ll realize there’s no undo button in life." Wang Xingcai sighed deeply. "Mo Shuxian can’t be trusted, and her kids are good-for-nothings. You can’t seriously not plan for the future."

"Really, there’s no need for you to worry." Wang Zhongzhao said sincerely.

Wang Xingcai waved his hand dismissively, picked up his cane, and hobbled out of the teahouse. Once in the car, he immediately ditched the cane.

Faking frailty was tiring. How did Old Man Lu manage it?

Thinking of Lu Mingzhu’s talent for getting money out of people, Wang Xingcai told the driver, "Take me to Mingzhu’s place. I need to ask for her advice—or better yet, have her intervene personally."

He realized Lu Mingzhu had a knack for effortlessly getting what she wanted.

Lu Mingzhu was indeed at home, supervising the cleanup of her closet and moving most of her clothes to the mansion built on the three adjoining plots of land on Pokfulam Road.

Since it wasn’t convenient to live there, she used it for storage instead.

Seeing Wang Xingcai enter, Lu Mingzhu welcomed him inside with a bright smile. "Godfather, what brings you here today? I heard you gave my elder brother such a generous amount—what a great dad you are. I love dads like you. I’ve decided to reserve a room for you in my newly completed mansion. Come stay whenever you’d like."

"What mansion?" Wang Xingcai wasn’t fully aware of Lu Mingzhu’s assets and hadn’t inquired in detail.

Lu Mingzhu laughed. "The one rebuilt after demolishing the villa I bought when I first arrived in Hong Kong. It was torn down long ago, but construction only resumed after Haohao was born. Delays from the years of food shortages on the mainland stalled progress, so it took several years on and off to finish. The interior was decorated a year ago, and I’m just waiting for an auspicious day to move in—mainly for my father’s convenience."

She refused to live in someone else’s old house, a quirk she’d never drop.

Wang Xingcai nodded. "Save me a room. Whenever your father moves in, I’ll follow."

Lately, he’d also been worn out by Lin Xianglian and his younger children.

Lu Mingzhu assured him, "Don’t worry. Once you move in, you’ll find Godfather and Godmother Zeng there too, and Godfather is nearby. You can all gather for mahjong or chats—it’ll be lovely."

"Not to babysit for you?" Wang Xingcai asked abruptly.

He vaguely remembered Old Man Lu mentioning something like that.

Lu Mingzhu refused to admit she indeed had plans for her daughter to learn from them. "What are you thinking? With my elder brother, Junyao and me as parents, plus the servants, why would we trouble you elders to babysit? This is about honoring you—keeping you close so we can take care of you."

She quickly steered the conversation back, asking Wang Xingcai the purpose of his visit.

Wang Xingcai then said, "Do you have a way to get your second brother to transfer some assets to Wang Yan?"

Lu Mingzhu was taken aback for a moment before blinking, "So after subsidizing Eldest Brother, you're unwilling to let it go and now want Second Brother to subsidize Wang Yan, just to experience the joy of assets disappearing without return?"

"You see it but don’t say it out loud." Wang Xingcai was startled by her sharpness.

Lu Mingzhu suddenly smiled, "Godfather, if I succeed, what do I get out of it? I’m pretty expensive these days—you’d need serious cash to hire me."

Wang Xingcai thought for a moment and said, "I have a pair of Jilan blue-glazed white dragon plum vases. They’ll be your reward."

"From the Yuan Dynasty? Made in Jingdezhen?" Lu Mingzhu asked.

"Correct." Wang Xingcai knew this pair of vases was a real collector’s item, bought at a low price from a shady character on the run from Shanghai years ago. He had treasured them in secret all this time, and now he was reluctantly parting with them.

At least it’s not going to a stranger.

Lu Mingzhu beamed, "Then just wait for my good news!"

After Wang Xingcai left following dinner, Lu Mingzhu immediately called Wang Zhongzhao.

"Sweetest Second Brother, do you have time to talk?" Her voice was sugary sweet, dripping with charm.

Wang Zhongzhao reacted swiftly, "What did the old man want from you?"

Ha! He’d been keeping an eye on the old man all along.

Lu Mingzhu paused, then chuckled, "Since Second Brother has already guessed, I’ll cut to the chase. How about we collaborate? Godfather’s reward is a pair of Jilan blue-glazed white dragon plum vases."

Wang Zhongzhao blurted out, "Jilan blue-glazed?"

"Exactly," Lu Mingzhu said. "And it’s a pair—a real collector’s item."

Wang Zhongzhao pondered, "Little sister, let’s be real. Giving away so much for one vase isn’t worth it for me. I have no reason to agree."

"Second Brother, that’s not the right way to look at it. Helping your own son with some assets—can that really be measured in terms of cost-effectiveness? If you didn’t have the means, fine, but you clearly do, and plenty of it. Are you really going to give Wang Yan nothing? Sooner or later, you’ll have to give him something. Doing it now not only earns his gratitude but also puts Mo Shuxian in her place—killing two birds with one stone." Lu Mingzhu coaxed persuasively, "Most importantly, you’ll get a Jilan blue-glazed white dragon plum vase for free. I don’t even have one in my collection."

In the 21st century, it’d sell for billions—though that might be a stretch.

Wang Zhongzhao sighed, "So you’re just taking the old man’s side?"

"He’s my godfather—of course I listen to him." Lu Mingzhu wasn’t particularly close to Zhen Zhen and her son, so this matter didn’t concern her much. It all depended on whether Wang Zhongzhao was willing to play along.

She only fleeced people who let her.

Wang Zhongzhao grunted, "Not enough—raise the stakes."

Lu Mingzhu asked, "What do you want? I’ll put in a word with Godfather."

"I heard the old man has a replica of Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy." Wang Zhongzhao left it at that. "Given how well his business is doing, he’s clearly still got deep pockets."

Lu Mingzhu’s eyes lit up, "Fine, I’ll relay your message."

When Wang Xingcai heard Lu Mingzhu’s reply, he wasn’t bothered.

To him, his assets would eventually go to his descendants anyway—whether sooner or later didn’t matter much.

Wang Zhongzhao was his own son—it’s not like he’s giving it to a stranger. If anything, it’d set Wang Yan up for life.

"Mingzhu, tell him that besides the copy of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, I can also give him an authentic work by Wang Meng, as long as his future behavior pleases me," said Wang Xingcai.

Lu Mingzhu relayed the message to Wang Zhongzhao.

Wang Zhongzhao, worried that Wang Xingcai might go back on his word, insisted, "Put the items in your hands first."

"Second Brother, you father and son pair!" Lu Mingzhu had no choice but to convey his words again.

Wang Xingcai, having already agreed, gave them up readily.

In addition to the pair of cobalt-blue-glazed vases with white dragon and plum motifs and two ancient calligraphy and paintings, he also gifted Lu Mingzhu several small yet finely crafted antiques, though their value couldn't compare to the vases and paintings.

With Lu Mingzhu vouching for him, Wang Zhongzhao finally agreed to transfer some properties to Wang Yan.

Zhen Zhen and Wang Yan, who had stayed in Hong Kong at Madam Zhang's request, had been living in the mansion Wang Xingcai had bought for his second family. When they received the assets from Wang Zhongzhao, the mother and son were floored.

They couldn’t believe it.

After all, at the wedding, they and Wang Zhongzhao might as well have been strangers.

Wang Yan did call him "Dad," if only because he’d gotten his grandparents’ inheritance thanks to him.

Taking advantage of their stay in Hong Kong, Madam Zhang divided part of her personal collection of jewelry and antiques among them, dividing it fairly into five shares—one for each branch of the family, with the remaining share reserved for Lu Mingzhu, though it hadn’t been given yet.

Originally, she had planned to give it directly to her sons and daughters-in-law, but then she realized that if Wang Zhongzhao received it, he certainly wouldn’t share with Zhen Zhen and her son, thus benefiting Mo Shuxian and her children instead. So the old lady cut out her sons and daughters-in-law entirely, distributing the shares directly to her grandchildren and Lu Mingzhu, holding onto only the jade jewelry Lu Mingzhu had given her to wear daily, to be allocated after her death.

Being the sole legitimate heir of the second branch, Wang Yan received the largest share.

No one objected.

After all, the mother and son had suffered enough.

Under these circumstances, receiving the property transfer from Wang Zhongzhao left them completely shocked—especially given how much he handed over, with buildings and shops totaling two to three million in market value.