Zeng Jingchu and Zeng Jingliang's family of three arrived. After offering incense and burning paper, Zeng Jingchu stood silently beside Tian Jing.
Yuan Feng stood by the ice coffin, covering her mouth and crying. If there was anything she would miss in Kushan, it was only the kindness emanating from Mother Li.
Da Mai, who came to support her, couldn't help but cry over the ice coffin again.
"Big sister."
Xiao Mai wanted to help Da Mai.
"Get lost!"
Da Mai roughly shook her hand away, her tear-streaked face filled with hatred: "I hate it! I hate that I brought you back from the capital, and I hate that I didn't leave with that woman."
"Even if we were sold by that woman, it would be our fate, because she is our biological mother."
"If we hadn't been at the Li family's, if we had still been at Li Dazuo's, Grandma wouldn't have died unnaturally."
"Everything in the Li family, no matter when, no matter where we are, has nothing to do with us! It has nothing to do with your children! It was all earned by Little Aunt!"
"Where did Yu Lin get these ideas? Do you have this idea in your heart? Are you greedy? Do you think Little Aunt didn't let you into Jingyuan Company? Is it?"
"No, no."
Xiao Mai shook her head desperately: "I never thought about it, and I never resented it. Compared to the days at Li Dazuo's, I am very satisfied with our lives."
"Mother treated us like her own and gave me a small Western-style building. We also have two younger brothers who can make us stand up straight. I am very content."
Da Mai retorted: "Then why is Yu Lin coveting the Li family? What right does he have to covet it? His surname is Zhou! He is just the son of a married-out girl! Who does he think he is?"
"Just a town person with no roots and no background, and he really thinks he's a spring onion!"
Saying this, Da Mai glanced disdainfully at the Zhou family: "From now on, I have no sister. Your life or death has nothing to do with me. Don't call me again!"
Father Zhou and Mother Zhou looked at the arguing Da Mai and Xiao Mai in shock. They had been in Kushan for nearly twenty years and never knew that Ouyang Meihua was a stepmother.
Da Mai helped Yuan Feng away from the ice coffin, leaving Xiao Mai, who had been flung to the ground by her, sitting alone by the ice coffin.
Zhou Chenbin walked to Xiao Mai's side and squatted down: "Xiao Mai, it's no use saying anything now that things have come to this. I know you hate me too. We'll discuss our matters later. Get up."
Pushing away the large hand in front of her, Xiao Mai got up by herself and squatted down in a place not far from the Li family but far from the Zhou family.
Old Secretary Ji said to Mother Zhou: "Things are irreversible. The Li family and the Zhou family are bound to become enemies. I also find it difficult to explain this matter to the Li family, so I cannot act as a mediator for you. I'm leaving."
He got up, burned paper, said "My condolences" to Li Zhengguo and Tian Jing, and left early.
He couldn't stay any longer. The Li family had always been benevolent. No matter how many reasons the Zhou family had, they could not untie the knot of a human life.
Father Zhou advised his wife to leave: "Let's go back and pack our things. We should move."
Mother Zhou looked at her son, who was walking back.
Zhou Chenbin shook his head: "You go back, clean up the Chen family's courtyard and vacate it. I'll stay here with Xiao Mai, always with her. I won't manage Yu Lin and Yu Fei. Don't come looking for me."
Father Zhou dragged his wife away.
Without Father Zhou and Mother Zhou, the villagers in Kushan began to whisper in twos and threes...
Chen An and Li Weiyu returned with their respective wives and sons.
The cousins burned paper and then went to settle accounts with Xiao Mai and Zhou Chenbin.
Chen An was very disappointed in Zhou Chenbin, calling him useless. For so many years, without his uncle's care, he would have achieved nothing remarkable.
Li Weiyu questioned Xiao Mai why she didn't discipline him.
Xiao Mai hugged her legs and lowered her head, letting her younger brother scold her.
Ouyang Meihua pulled her younger son and shook her head at him. Xiao Mai was already very remorseful. No one could bear the fact that their son had killed their grandmother.
Li Weiyu shook off his mother's hand and pulled his wife and son aside to lecture them.
As it got dark, Tian Jing told Da Mai to go back with some villagers who were returning to the village. Her mother-in-law had to wait for her eldest son to return to see her for the last time before cremation. After cremation, there would be a funeral in Kushan. Da Mai didn't need to stay.
Yuan Man asked Da Mai to stay and take care of his martial uncle.
Chen Suozhu went to the crematorium restaurant to arrange dinner.
During dinner, Zeng Jingchu saw Ji Xiang staying, so he stayed too.
Li Zhengguo asked Li Liguo to go eat first and come back to relieve him.
Only these three people were left in the mourning hall. Zeng Jingchu sat next to Ji Xiang.
"Ji Xiang, I know you've had your suspicions all along. You're already 17 years old. Your Aunt Jing said to wait until you're 18 to make a decision. I think now is the most suitable time."
"Because I need to personally handle the affairs of Aodu Group recently, you can follow me and learn during this summer vacation."
"Your foreign butler, Zeng Lin, has also been trained. You two should get to know each other and let him follow you to cultivate a bond."
Ji Xiang turned to Zeng Jingchu: "You're not my only son."
"He's not suitable."
Zeng Jingchu shook his head: "He not only inherited his mother's appearance, but also her way of doing things."
"He was born to accompany us. He and your mother have no freedom. I, as well as your Aunt Jing, asked me to take leave to guard Aodu Group."
Ji Xiang pondered for a moment and asked Li Zhengguo: "Little Uncle, are you not returning to Kushan in the future?"
Li Zhengguo nodded.
"Then I'll take it!"
Ji Xiang nodded: "Father Zeng, I am willing to take over Aodu Group, but I have conditions."
Zeng Jingchu breathed a sigh of relief: "You say."
"I want to take back all the shares, and I want to have 100% control."
"Alas!"
Zeng Jingchu sighed: "Your uncle's 5% has been recovered. But Song Shaoqing holds 44% of the shares."
"He will come to you."
Ji Xiang also knew what had happened in Ling County: "Don't promise him yet. Wait until he is desperate and has to sell off Aodu shares, then talk to him."
"Only talk with money, disagree with all other factors. At worst, let him sell all the shares of Aodu Group."
Zeng Jingchu hesitated: "If that's the case, he will surely jump the wall in a hurry and sell at a low price, and the stock price will plummet."
"It doesn't matter."
Ji Xiang didn't care: "Prepare more funds, we'll send people to monitor the stock market and buy it back ourselves. The turmoil will only be temporary, don't worry."
Zeng Jingchu looked at Ji Xiang with satisfaction: "You are indeed my son."
Ji Xiang: "..."
It was because he had known his identity long ago and secretly studied, right?
...
Two days later, Li Weihao and Li Siyan rushed over and beat Zhou Chenbin together.
Four days later, Li Weibo rushed over. He ignored Zhou Chenbin and asked his father: "How many days has it been?"
"It's been the fifth day."
"Arrange the cremation and go home quickly. Bury tomorrow."
"Mm."
Li Zhengguo nodded: "We were just waiting for you to see your grandmother for the last time."
Li Weibo burned paper for his grandmother, then walked to Zhou Chenbin: "You can leave now. We don't want to see you."
"Xiao Bo, I..."
Li Weibo raised his hand and interrupted him: "Don't speak. In the face of a human life, all words are pale and powerless. Take Li Xiao Mai with you. I don't want to see her."
Xiao Mai huddled in the corner and refused to leave. Zhou Chenbin bent down and picked her up. She raised her hand and scratched Zhou Chenbin's face: "Let go of me, let go of me, I want to stay with my grandma."
Zhou Chenbin endured the pain but didn't let go: "Grandma isn't here. We'll go back and find her."
Xiao Mai's eyes were hollow and confused: "Really?"
"Really."
Zhou Chenbin nodded. These past few days, his wife had been blaming herself and being blamed by the Li family. He noticed that his wife's mental state was somewhat unusual, so he coaxed her like this.
After the couple left, the Li family fell silent.
Whether the couple was right or wrong, a rift had already formed between them and this couple. Living in estrangement was already a peaceful outcome.