"Nonsense."
Old Master Xiao patted the square table and rebuked, "Weiwei, you are a grandmother now. You should know better."
"We are family. How can we go to court over this old courtyard? Where would that leave the reputation of our Xiao family?"
"Jingjing suffered for over twenty years alone in the country. Your father wanted to compensate her by giving her a siheyuan. What's wrong with that?"
"You have received quite a lot as well. One cannot be too greedy. Jingjing is short of money. She wants to sell this siheyuan, and she even wants to sell it to her own family. What about you?"
"If you are willing to buy it, then we will back down, and you can purchase it with your own money."
Xiao Wei's head spun from the scolding.
She was a grandmother?
She would buy it with her own money?
Where did she have the money?
The building in England, though called a building, was built in the wilderness. Her father said it was quiet there and there was a ranch.
Even the weeds grew sparse. Could that be called a ranch?
Even if it was fertile land, what could she do with it? Was she expected to farm, raise cattle, and herd sheep?
No, no, no.
When her father returned, he had given her all his bank cards. Her honeymoon trip had already spent most of it.
Jon was a complete pauper. All the honeymoon expenses were from her money.
Otherwise, why would she go to her eldest uncle to borrow money?
If she hadn't borrowed money, her eldest uncle wouldn't have told her what was happening back home.
She wouldn't have returned, wouldn't have divorced, and wouldn't have been forced to become a grandmother.
Nor would Chen Jing have called her utterly foolish.
The more she thought, the more muddled her mind became.
The more she thought, the dizzier she felt.
Tian Jing, with quick hands and eyes, grabbed the limp figure. "Xu Ma, take your young lady back to her room and call a doctor to come and see her."
"Yes."
Xu Ma hastily put down the teapot and carried the weak young lady.
After Xu Ma carried her out of the reception room, Second Master Xiao eagerly asked Tian Jing, "How much do you plan to sell this courtyard for?"
Old Master Xiao glared at his second brother. He had told him not to be hasty when discussing the price. They had agreed perfectly, so why the sudden change?
Second Master Xiao ignored his elder brother's gaze. If he could secure the courtyard by himself, then everything in the courtyard would be his.
Tian Jing sat opposite all the members of the Xiao family. She saw the ambition in Second Master Xiao's eyes very clearly.
Suddenly, the strange feeling in her heart found an outlet, and she had more guesses.
"Second Master Xiao, I don't care who among you buys this courtyard. My goal is to sell it back to the Xiao family. I know that here, a two-courtyard siheyuan is only a little over ten thousand, and a three-courtyard siheyuan would be at most thirty thousand yuan."
"However, my courtyard will not be sold at market price. We are talking about sentiments, right? What you can't bear to part with is also sentiment, right?"
"This courtyard, sixty thousand yuan, no negotiation."
Second Master Xiao exclaimed, "Sixty thousand? Why don't you just rob me?"
"If robbery wasn't illegal, I would love to rob you. After all, my combat power is so high, right?"
Yes, yes, yes, yes to what the heck!
Both Second Master Xiao and Old Master Xiao cursed Chen Jing as a cunning woman in their hearts.
First, she used their expressed reason – sentiment – to block their attempts to haggle.
Second, she used her combat power to intimidate them, preventing them from bargaining.
Sixty thousand yuan, for their current financial situation, was still a small sum.
But to buy a courtyard that originally belonged to their Xiao family, it was too much of an indignity.
"You two can go back and discuss it slowly. I'm not in a hurry."
Tian Jing served tea and saw them out.
Old Master Xiao and Second Master Xiao could only bid farewell, saying they needed to go back and discuss.
Tian Jing very politely stood up to see them off.
After the Xiao family一行 left the second gate, Xu Ma hurried to report to the young miss.
"Young Miss, Miss is pregnant."
Tian Jing stumbled, almost tripping herself. "What did you say?"
In her first life, a woman who had almost as many consorts as an empress had never heard of pregnancy.
Her first three marriages had also not resulted in pregnancy.
A woman who saw children as a burden, a woman who only enjoyed love, and she was pregnant after being with Jon for less than half a year?
It was already very different from her first life, and coupled with her suspicions about Chen Guangfu, and now this new development...
Xu Ma knelt down with a thud. "The doctor just examined her. Miss is over a month pregnant. It is my fault. I have sinned."
Tian Jing waved her hand. "Get up. Don't kneel to me."
"Yes." Xu Ma quickly stood up.
"Has she woken up?"
"No."
"Meaning, she doesn't know?"
"Correct."
"Abort it."
"Young Miss, that's not advisable. Miss's age..."
Xu Ma's words were swallowed by the young miss's cold gaze.
"First, keep your mouth shut. Let me think about it."
"Yes."
After Xu Ma retreated, Tian Jing vexedly wanted to shout to the heavens, what on earth was going on?
She took a deep breath, calmed her emotions, and went to the east room. This matter had to be known by her maternal grandfather.
Grandpa Xiao was also stunned.
"Tiantian, what are your plans?"
"She doesn't know. I want to secretly abort it. A mixed-race child with no father will not only be looked down upon in the country but will also be bullied abroad."
Grandpa Xiao disagreed, "But this is a life after all. Perhaps her mindset will mature after having this child."
"Moreover, it is her child. She should be the one to decide its fate. It's not appropriate for you to interfere."
"Walls have ears. If she finds out, even if you are helping her solve a problem, she will have a reason to hate you. You will go from being proactive to reactive."
Tian Jing knew that Grandpa would be soft-hearted. "Then, our bet agreement..."
"It continues," Grandpa Xiao said decisively. "Her life has always been her own to decide. She always said I didn't give her freedom, that I controlled and restricted her."
"I don't want her to support me. I'm the one losing out. And since she abandoned you, you have no reason to support her. If she keeps this child, she will also have someone to support her in her old age."
Tian Jing wasn't as simple-minded as Grandpa. Why had she made this bet?
Because she knew Xiao Wei was accustomed to a life of luxury. No matter how much property Grandpa left her, it wouldn't be enough for Xiao Wei to squander.
In the end, Xiao Wei's elderly care would definitely fall on her. She didn't want to raise a grown-up child.
If this grown-up child were her daughter, she would accept her fate.
The problem was, the grown-up child was her own mother. As a daughter who had been abandoned since childhood, why should she raise her?
Even if having this child could change Xiao Wei's mindset, what then?
Wouldn't she still be a lady of leisure, with ten fingers unaccustomed to manual labor?
At that time, she would not only have to raise a grown-up child but also the infant born to the grown-up child?
What if the infant was raised by the grown-up child to become a super grown-up child...
She dared not imagine...
"Grandpa, there are some people who do nothing and rely on their family for support. Such people never grow up. Such people are called giant babies."
"Xiao Wei is a giant baby. She can't even handle her own daily affairs, let alone manage her finances."
"How long do you think Xiao Wei can live independently? Who will she rely on to raise a child? Will that Jon take responsibility? Does Jon have the money for her to squander?"
Grandpa Xiao's expression darkened. "Jon is quite famous locally. His reputation comes from him being a professional kept man."
"When I returned, Weiwei had taken all my savings. I thought it was all for her. I also don't have long to live, so I can't manage her anymore. So... alas, it's probably all spent."