Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire

Chapter 137: Chapter 129 Rushing is Not a Bargain

Su Hongying told Lu Jiaxin that her grandmother’s own elder sister was now in Hong Kong.

Lu Jiaxin was stunned for a moment, as she hadn’t expected that the reason for her being sought out would be such a matter. She thought for a while, then shook her head and said, “My grandmother passed away from illness a long time ago, and my mother seldom mentioned her. On the rare occasions she did, she just said that her life was hard, never mentioning that she had any siblings.”

Indeed, Jiaxin’s grandmother had a hard life. Ding’s father was the village head’s son. Originally, she had her eye on someone else, but Ding’s father, captivated by her beauty, forcefully married her. After bringing her home, he treated her quite well, but his mother was sharp-tongued and spiteful. She demanded that Jiaxin’s grandmother cook for the entire family just three days after giving birth to a daughter. Because she worked before her body had recovered, she became chronically ill. Later, she had three miscarriages due to insufficient nutrition and always miscarried, leading to her death before she even reached thirty. Ding’s father’s subsequent wife was cruel and domineering, frequently clashing with her mother-in-law. During one of their fights, Old Lady Ding fell and hit her head, and died as a result, which could be seen as retribution for her evil deeds.

In the year Ding Xiaoxia turned twelve, her stepmother took her anger from a quarrel with Ding’s father out on Xiaoxia and beat her half to death. That day Ding’s father scolded the stepmother, saying if they were to beat Xiaoxia to death, they would no longer be able to collect a bride price. With her good looks resembling her mother’s, it was certain they could secure a hefty bride price in the future.

Upon hearing these words, Ding Xiaoxia felt completely disheartened. She ran away before her injuries had healed. She collapsed from exhaustion while escaping and was rescued by several officials who were out in the countryside promoting new thoughts.

Fearing they would send her back, Ding Xiaoxia pretended to be mute. When the officials could not get any information out of her, they arranged for her to help at an orphanage. Later, after discovering she was literate and questioning her patiently, they sympathized with her ordeal and helped her re-register her household. Because she was intelligent and learned quickly, she was later sent to the Forty-nine City for further education and subsequently stayed there due to her outstanding performance.

Out of hatred for the Ding Family, Ding Xiaoxia only went back after getting married. Of course, it was not to recognize her relatives but to visit Guh Lanlan’s grave, and incidentally to meet Lu Hongjun.

When the Ding Family learned she had made a fortune, they wanted her to arrange jobs for her two younger brothers and even to support them in their old age. Ding Xiaoxia never bothered with them. At that time, without a letter of introduction, one couldn’t leave the county. Lu Hongjun approached the commune’s secretary, preventing the Ding Family from causing trouble in the Forty-nine City. As for the telephone, where could several common folks get hold of the phone number of her unit?

Su Hongying said, “Your grandmother had five siblings in total, but your great-grandfather was schemed against and became addicted to drugs. Apart from your eldest uncle, he sold all the others.”

Lu Jiaxin was shocked beyond compare, “Sold them?”

Just a few months ago, she had dealt with Sun Xun, a gambler who wanted to sell his own children. She could never have imagined that her great-grandfather was an addict who sold his wife and children for a fix.

Su Hongying continued, “Your great-aunt is named Guh Xiuxiu, who later married a wealthy tycoon in Hong Kong. She has no children of her own, and the daughter she adopted betrayed her after being blinded by love. Her condition is not good right now.”

“So she came back to find her relatives?”

Su Hongying shook her head and said, “No, her health is poor now. It was Su Heyuan who saw a newspaper photo of her from when she was young and thought she looked very much like you. After some inquiries, he didn’t expect you two to actually be relatives.”

Lu Jiaxin then said it had been decades, so why would she suddenly come looking for her? Even if she wanted to find her relatives, she should look for those with the surname Guh.

Seeing her indifferent, Su Hongying asked, “Jiaxin, Madam Guh has a fortune worth over a hundred million, and she has no children of her own. If you could be by her side, all of this wealth could be yours in the future.”

They must have left out the word “not” from “a fortune worth over a hundred million.” Is it cash, or does it include stocks, real estate, and jewelry? Of course, not to mention the Mainland, even for Hong Kong people, this is a huge sum of money.

Lu Jiaxin didn’t take it to heart, “eager to sell is not a trade, and since nobody is seeking me out, approaching them may lead Madam Guh to suspect ulterior motives. Besides, I like to spend the money I earn, I dare not take others’ money. Even if I got my hands on it, I might not live to spend it.”

Aunt married into a wealthy family, and since ancient times, such families have had many disputes. With such a large sum of money at stake, would the man’s family watch it fall into the hands of a green girl? In Hong Kong, there are many associations, and she could be in danger of being thrown into the sea to feed the fish at any moment.

Su Hongying was somewhat impressed, the girl was indeed very clear-headed, a single change had truly transformed her.

After thinking it over, Su Hongying looked at her, “Your dad and your older brother probably want you to graduate from college and enter civil service. But I think your temperament is not suited for that path.”

Lu Jiaxin had always been very intelligent, just that previously, being young, she didn’t understand the treachery of human hearts. Now, even that flaw was gone, and her husband too probably had this plan in mind for her to enter the economic system after graduating from college.

“Join the government? My nature isn’t suited for that,” Lu Jiaxin said without hesitation. There are too many rules and restrictions in government departments, this isn’t allowed, that’s forbidden.

While it’s right to have strict requirements for public servants, she couldn’t stand the constraints. She was a person who was lazy and indulged in comfort, loved to wear beautiful clothes and jewelry, and enjoyed fine food. She never deprived herself in her previous life, and she was certainly not going to start now.

Su Hongying nodded slightly, saying, “You have the makings of a good businessperson. However, the current situation in the Mainland isn’t suitable for you, in Hong Kong, you could really make a difference.”

Lu Jiaxin had already decided to go to Hong Kong. She asked, “Aunt Su, my mother’s dying wish was for me to go to college. Once I’m there, I still plan to apply to college.”

She said this with a purpose in mind. If she wanted to apply to college, she would definitely need legal status; there would be no time to evade the police and sneak around, much less attend school.

Su Hongying said, “Jiaxin, we will first disclose your information to Madam Guh. If she is willing to acknowledge you and take you to Hong Kong, she will arrange everything for you, including your household registration and school. If we rely on Su Heyuan to take you to Hong Kong, the procedures will be more complex, and neither your father nor your older brother will agree.”

This time, Lu Jiaxin didn’t refuse. “Just let her know that someone like me exists, the rest will take its course.”

One couldn’t help but say the girl was clever. If she had sought out recognition herself, it could have been deemed suspicious, but if Madam Guh came looking for her, it was a different matter.

Su Hongying cautioned, “Jiaxin, the schools in Hong Kong are different from those in the Mainland, the system is also different, and even if you pass the exam, you’ll still have to go through an interview. If you’re eliminated during the interview, no matter how good your exam scores are, you won’t get into university.”

Lu Jiaxin replied, “Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets their mind to it. I’m not taking the exams this year, I’m planning for next year. If a year and a half of preparation don’t lead to success, it’ll just prove that I’m not capable, and then I’ll go straight into business.”

In Hong Kong, you can run a business while studying. Forget about it in the Mainland; there, if you try that, people won’t praise you for being capable or a genius, but will think you’re not serious and a waste of state resources, and they might not even award you a diploma. In the eighties and nineties, Hong Kong’s economy was also booming, it’s better to go there first to accumulate capital, and then return to invest.