Tian Jing was in the backyard looking at the bathroom.
It had been several days of work, it should be almost done, right?
Li Liguo and Chen Suozhu were still cementing the outer wall tile joints.
The two told Tian Jing that they would have to wait a bit longer before hanging the water heater.
Yu Ziyu came to tell Tian Jing that Li Weibo had brought back Yuan Yuan's uncle.
As Tian Jing reached the living room doorway, Zeng Jingchu apologized to her, "I'm sorry, I've disappointed you."
Tian Jing sat on the sofa opposite him. "You're still alive?"
Zeng Jingchu didn't mind Tian Jing's jab and continued, "I thank you for raising Jixiang so well."
"Hmph!" Tian Jing snorted. No wonder he was alive, it was all because of Jixiang.
"You're mistaken, I didn't teach him. It was Xiao Fu and Hua'er."
Zeng Jingchu nodded, "I will thank them properly."
Tian Jing looked at him coldly. "What do you mean? Are you planning to take Jixiang away?"
Zeng Jingchu froze. "Can't I?"
"You can't!" Tian Jing grabbed a throw pillow and threw it at him.
"Do you think Jixiang is a cat or a dog that you can give away and take back at will?"
"When his biological mother came, he clearly felt a connection, but he just wouldn't admit it. He said he had a brother, parents, and grandparents."
"He is very sensitive and intelligent. He is refusing. What he wants is a complete family."
"If you take him away, will it just be the two of you? What can you give him? Money?"
"If I give you money, can you entertain me with performances every day?"
Although it was just a throw pillow, Zeng Jingchu was thrown back against the sofa when he caught it.
What followed was a tirade from Tian Jing.
Hearing that his son had rejected that woman, Zeng Jingchu smiled extremely happily. "Good, good, he's worthy of being my son."
"Alright, I won't acknowledge him until he's 18. I will participate in his growth as his new father."
"He wants a complete family, so let him grow up at Xiao Fu's parents' house. His name, we'll decide whether to change it or not when he grows up."
"Hmph!" Tian Jing snorted at him heavily again.
"He and all the villagers think he and Jiqing are twins, and he's about to have twin brothers or sisters. He's very happy, and he doesn't care about you, his new father."
Zeng Jingchu said smugly, "He admitted it. He even called me."
Tian Jing looked coldly at her second son.
Li Weibo grabbed Yu Ziyu and ran. "Let's go, we've made a mistake."
As Yu Ziyu ran, he looked back and apologized, "Mom, don't be angry. It's good that my uncle is alive."
"What uncle?" Tian Jing shouted towards the door. "Call him Boss Zeng. He's just a watermelon vendor."
They ran into the kitchen, and Yu Ziyu breathed a sigh of relief. "Mom's anger is a bit scary."
"Did you make your mother angry?" Li Mu asked with a frown.
Li Weibo shook his head. "It's okay, it's okay. Mom isn't angry at us. We're just getting caught in the crossfire."
Li Mu continued cooking. "Who did you bring back?"
"Lit... " Li Weibo started to say one word, then changed his mind. "It's Boss Zeng."
Li Mu's head shot up. "Eh? He's finally showing himself? Then Jixiang, he?"
"It's because of this that my mom is angry." Li Weibo told his grandmother about Zeng Jingchu's situation.
"...After talking to Jixiang on the phone, he came back to life. My eldest brother said he'd see if Number 2 could bring Jixiang back. He's not in a hurry to treat his leg either, he wants to wait for Number 3."
Li Mu didn't expect Zeng Jingchu to have been missing for over two years. "What happened to his leg?"
"It's broken and wasn't set properly. Dr. Yuan plans to re-break and reset it."
Hearing her grandson's words, Li Mu shivered. Re-breaking and resetting it? That would hurt so much!
"I'll go and see him. Tell him to stay at our place for a few days."
Li Mu turned down the flame on the gas stove and left the kitchen.
Yu Ziyu continued to ask why his uncle was Boss Zeng.
Li Weibo knew Boss Zeng, and he also knew that Boss Zeng became his uncle from Captain Zeng.
He also knew that his mother was Captain Zeng's biological sister. Anything else, he really didn't know.
Yu Ziyu listened with great interest.
...
In the living room, Tian Jing angrily accused Zeng Jingchu of being a coward, using family affection to escape from love.
If he had the guts, he should find another relationship to replace it.
Otherwise, the person who accepted his family affection would be exhausted.
Who knew if he would become perverse?
Zeng Jingchu did not agree with Tian Jing's view. "My life must have a goal."
"When I was young, I searched everywhere for my sister. That was the goal of my first half of my life."
"To conquer the heart of an esper was my goal for the past three years."
"Losing my goal suddenly left me feeling lost and without a sense of purpose in life."
"Now I have found a new goal. Jixiang can spend his childhood living with the Chen family. But when he grows up, his appearance will differ from that of the Chen family members."
"I can't let him think he's an abandoned child. He has a father who loves him."
"Go!" Tian Jing sneered at him dismissively. "Self-pitying evasion. All your goals are about living for others, what about yourself?"
Zeng Jingchu shook his head solemnly. "From the moment I was born, I never lived for myself. Even without family matters, I lived for the family business."
Tian Jing rolled her eyes. "Where is your family business?"
As Zeng Jingchu was about to answer, he saw Li Mu walking in.
Li Mu looked Zeng Jingchu up and down. "How did you end up like this? How's your leg?"
Zeng Jingchu shook his head. "It's fine. With Yuan Man here, it's fine."
"Tsk!" Tian Jing sneered disdainfully.
Li Mu nodded. "Yuan Man's medical skills are very good. You'll stay here for a few days. I'll have Xiao Bo prepare a room for you in the front yard, with easy access."
Zeng Jingchu nodded. "Okay, thank you, my in-law."
After Li Mu left the living room, Zeng Jingchu asked Tian Jing why she suddenly cared about the Zeng family's business.
Tian Jing said irritably, "I'm just asking. Whether you tell me or not is up to you."
"Have you heard of Ao Du Group?"
Zeng Jingchu's words made Tian Jing feel terrible. "Ao Du Group belongs to the Zeng family?"
Seeing Zeng Jingchu nod, Tian Jing sighed. It was indeed a family business.
Her Jingyuan Company was like an ant compared to Ao Du Group.
Ao Du Group ranked third among private enterprises nationwide and thirty-eighth in the world.
It included new energy, servers, Western cuisine, and shopping malls across major cities in the country.
From the normal operation of the Zeng family's business, Zeng Jingrong confirmed that Zeng Jingchu was not deprived of his freedom and was not in any mortal danger.
"How did you manage the group during your absence?"
Zeng Jingchu said, "Each department has a CEO. Before the turn of the century, I arranged a five-year plan. They just need to execute it diligently."
"If they encounter difficulties, they overcome them. If there are conflicts, they resolve them. Otherwise, why would I hire them at such high salaries?"
Tian Jing's lips curved slightly. "Then add a small plan for me."
Zeng Jingchu sat up straighter. "What small plan?"
Tian Jing said with a light smile, "I want to bankrupt Runhua Chain Supermarket."
"Okay." Zeng Jingchu said without hesitation. "It's just a convenience store chain. Did they offend you?"
"Yes." Tian Jing told Zeng Jingchu about her experience at the evening wear store. "...As for the Huang and Tu families, I've already arranged for Ouyang Lei to handle the Huang family."
"For the Tu family, we're not 'compatible'. It's not easy to deal with them."
"Take down Runhua Chain Supermarket with business tactics. That way, no one will slander me behind my back."
Zeng Jingchu's face darkened. "What about the Gong family?"
Tian Jing shook her head. "I'm not dealing with them. Their real estate projects are not profitable for Jingyuan Company."
"If we merge, it will ruin the company's reputation. If we don't merge, it's not essential for survival and can't be converted into cash. Holding onto it is simply a hot potato."
"Boss Gong is in prison, which has a great impact on the Gong family's real estate projects. Let them decline on their own."
"You're not ruthless enough," Zeng Jingchu pointed at her. "You're afraid of being slandered behind your back. I'm not afraid. I'll do it."
"Don't cause trouble!" Tian Jing disagreed. "Zeng Jingrong and I are being watched by the higher-ups. We should stop when it's enough."
"If it escalates, can he and I still lead the special skills team?"
"Alright," Zeng Jingchu nodded. "Silently, without a trace. I'll prepare another five-year plan. Five years is already a considerable amount of time to deal with them."
A five-year plan? Tian Jing didn't know how many people Zeng Jingchu intended to involve, but she had to remind him:
"Don't mess with the Wu family. Old Master Shen seems quite satisfied with that grandson-in-law."
"If you go too far, Old Master Shen won't agree. When everything is tallied up, it will be you, and the five-year plan will be in vain."
"I know," Zeng Jingchu said dismissively. "Old Master Shen is too soft-hearted. He ruined an entire family."
"Someone like him would ruin the Zeng family business in a year if he managed it."
Tian Jing made no comment. It was difficult for even an honest official to settle family affairs, and family was not the same as business.