Chapter 40

Mother Jiang knew that her leverage was limited, but if she were to give up on fighting now, she wouldn’t have held the position of Jiang family matriarch for so many years.

She said to Jiang Yunjuan, “It’s simple. You want to take charge and make decisions, and I want to have someone to rely on in my old age.”

“At your age, you should have already considered this, but before you said you were busy with work, and your father and I both went along with it. Now that you’ve become the head of the Jiang family, you can’t keep acting so recklessly, can you?”

Jiang Yunjuan smiled slightly. “Mom, you’ve thought this through, haven’t you? I’m guessing you already have a plan?”

Mother Jiang wasn’t shy at all. She said, “Let’s be straightforward. There’s a barrier between us as mother and son, and though not everyone knows about it, it’s not really a secret.”

“My request is simple. I want a daughter-in-law who will be filial, but a high-spirited girl from a proud family can’t be trusted. However, your cousin—”

She smiled as she spoke. “After all, I’m her aunt. Even if she’s ungrateful, she won’t fail to be filial to me.”

Even though Jiang Yunjuan had already seen through her intentions, it still amazed him when she spoke them aloud.

He stood up, poured himself a glass of water, and took a sip. “Mom, did I hear that right? My cousin? Have I done something wrong over the years that has caused you to still feel this barrier between us? I’ve always treated you both as my real parents. I’ve treated Muti as my real sister, so naturally, Xuanxuan is my real cousin too. What you just said doesn’t make sense ethically, does it?”

Mother Jiang was starting to feel anxious as he countered her words.

She thought to herself that if he truly treated them as his real parents, no son would be so eager to seize power. She then recalled her troublesome biological daughter downstairs, and felt even more upset.

She smiled and said, “I know you’re filial, but you know your father. You understand the kind of man he is. He’s seen all sorts of storms in his life, hasn’t he?”

“Don’t think this small situation is a big deal. When he was younger, the company was buried in huge debts, isolated, and helpless, but he still managed to turn things around.”

“So don’t think that just because he’s temporarily stepping back, he’s truly giving up. I may not own a lot of shares in the company, but when combined with Muti’s, it still carries some weight.”

“By the way, speaking of Muti, I know what kind of person my daughter is. She’s spoiled. With her personality, aside from Xuanxuan, which other wife would tolerate her? Other girls from good families are spoiled too. They wouldn’t be able to serve her, this young lady. You don’t want things to get ugly between your sister and your wife, do you? It would make things hard for you, caught in the middle.”

Jiang Yunjuan looked up and emphasized, “Muti is a good person. Although she has a fiery temper, she doesn’t get angry for no reason. If there’s a conflict, it’s definitely not her fault.”

Hearing this, Mother Jiang felt a little embarrassed for Muti, but only Jiang Yunjuan could say such things with a straight face.

However, she responded, “What you say makes sense, but you can’t deny that my concerns aren’t without reason, right?”

Jiang Yunjuan didn’t comment on that topic. Instead, he focused on another key point. “Mom, you just said that the shares between you and Muti combined give you some say in the company.”

“That’s not correct. In reality, it’s Muti’s shares that have the power. Although Dad doesn’t expect Muti to inherit the family business, she is the last remaining bloodline, and whatever she’s entitled to, she won’t be deprived of.”

“Your shares, though, are insignificant compared to Muti’s. Of course, you have your own business, and that’s understandable, but are you sure Muti is willing to use her shares to add leverage to your plans?”

Mother Jiang waved her hand. “I’ll convince Muti. She’s getting along quite well with Xuanxuan, isn’t she? I even heard from Xuanxuan that Muti saw her earrings and, afraid that she didn’t have a proper dress to match them, chose a few pieces for her from her own collection.”

“I, as her elder, can’t be as considerate as her, but it’s clear that family is family. Even if there were small conflicts at first, blood is thicker than water. Before long, they’ll be inseparable.”

“If you really care about Muti and fear that she might be bullied in the future, wouldn’t choosing Xuanxuan be the correct choice?”

At this point, Jiang Yunjuan couldn’t help but admire his foster mother’s self-centered reasoning and fantastical ideas.

Of course, she and Father Jiang had some common traits. Although their strategies and demeanor were worlds apart, both were driven by self-interest at all times.

Compared to Muti, who had grown up in a rich and comfortable environment, Mother Jiang might feel some guilt for the daughter fostered by her sister’s family.

So she tried every possible way to force her back into the Jiang family, attempting to create a wider gap between Xuanxuan and Muti.

But is she really only thinking of Xuanxuan? Probably not.

She also needs a daughter-in-law she can control, the future matriarch of the next generation of the Jiang family.

Could she not see her indifference towards her cousin? Or, as she herself said, Muti was the type of sister-in-law that most people wouldn’t like—bossy, arrogant, and unwilling to be disciplined.

Xuanxuan was already a head below Muti. According to her foster mother, it seemed that for the rest of her life, Xuanxuan would have to lower herself in front of Muti.

Could Mother Jiang not see this? No, she saw it clearly.

But compared to her daughter’s happiness, her own interests were what mattered most, just as she could boldly arrange a marriage for Muti, thinking that it was the best future for her deep down.

Jiang Yunjuan actually hated his foster mother more than his biological father, because she was narrow-minded, selfish, and complicit in harmful schemes.

Although Father Jiang had a deep grudge against him, he had also tried his best to nurture him, and Jiang Yunjuan’s feelings for his father were complicated.

But Mother Jiang was simply a petty person with no vision, seeking to benefit without making any effort.

Jiang Yunjuan was no longer willing to entertain her and directly put down his glass of water, saying, “I don’t think Muti will agree to this.”

Mother Jiang was about to say something like, “I know my daughter, I’ll talk to her,” when suddenly there was a commotion outside the corridor, and the door to the study was slammed open.

Xuanxuan rushed in, her face streaked with tears, her hair disheveled, and her clothes wrinkled, looking disheveled and frantic.

“Aunt, Jiang Muti has gone mad! She’s gone too far. You’re her real mother, and she’s acting like she can dominate you already while you’re still alive!”

At first, Mother Jiang was shocked to see Xuanxuan like this, but then she became annoyed at her inappropriate words. What did she mean by “still alive”?

Then she heard Xuanxuan shout, “She had my luggage thrown out and now she’s trying to kick me out!”

“I came to stay with my aunt, and she has no right to throw me out!”

Mother Jiang was left speechless. Just moments ago, she had been praising the close relationship between the two girls, and now, in less than two minutes, Muti had slapped her face.

Her temper almost exploded, but then she heard Jiang Yunjuan laugh softly.

“Mom, looks like Muti doesn’t support your plan after all.”

Mother Jiang’s face turned ugly as she pulled Xuanxuan out of the study and into the living room.

Just as they exited the corridor, they saw a few servants, clearly trying to drive Xuanxuan away. They had let her escape into the study but dared not approach due to the importance of the room.

From the second floor, Mother Jiang looked down and saw that Muti had ignored the opportunity to chase after Xuanxuan. After all, she was just a little girl—she’d be caught eventually with so many people around.

Muti was casually filing her nails, giving orders to the servants to throw out Xuanxuan’s luggage.

“Throw everything out, throw it out the front door. Tsk, tsk! I say, did you really not make a mistake collecting all of this? How could she have so many things in just a few days?”

One of the maids replied, “The store sent it over. They said Miss Xuanxuan tried things on and then charged it to the madam’s account.”

Jiang Muti clicked her tongue in disbelief: “You tell me, which well-bred girl would act so rudely just because of a few polite words from someone else?”

“Let me see, these brands, Xiangjia, Diaojia, Du Jia… added up, these must be worth hundreds of thousands, right? I was wondering why you’ve been going out so often lately. Tell me, have you ever seen someone eat like this, so shamelessly?”

The servants shook their heads in unison, and one of them asked, “Then, Miss, what about these things—and the dress you gave her?”

“Tsk! Am I really that petty?” Jiang Muti smirked, “Although she was rude, these are things I gave her. Once given, they’re hers—there’s no reason to take them back.”

“Besides, my cousin never had a chance to wear them—” she said, covering her mouth with her dainty, rosy fingers as she smiled. “She can only wear them at home and imagine the feeling of walking on a red carpet or toasting at a fancy banquet.”

As soon as Xuanxuan came downstairs, she heard this and was instantly driven to tears again.

“Jiang Muti, you scheming little person, you insult me with what you said earlier. Don’t make it seem like I’m greedy. I just bought a few things while shopping, and their total value is less than the cost of one of your haute couture dresses!”

Jiang Muti shrugged and spoke to the people around her, “See? She’s so greedy and doesn’t even realize it. Anyone who doesn’t measure up to me doesn’t count, but she never thinks about how much it has to do with me. It’s like someone telling Mr. Ma, ‘Since you have billions, what’s the harm in giving me one?‘ How shameless!”

Xuanxuan was about to cause a scene again but was stopped by Mother Jiang’s sharp command.

“Enough!”

She walked up to Jiang Muti, coldly asking, “Muti, what is going on here?”

Jiang Muti pointed to the luggage and Xuanxuan, “As you can see, I don’t want to see her, so I told her to leave.”

Mother Jiang didn’t expect her to not even make an excuse. Furious, she scolded, “Have you lost your mind? Is it not chaotic enough at home? Your dad just got on a plane and you don’t even know where he’s gone, and you still have time to argue with your cousin? Haven’t you been fine for the past few days?”

“Mom, your standards are really low. Just because I didn’t scold her for a few days, you think I like her? Are you happy that our relationship seems to be improving? You’re thinking too optimistically.”

“Stop with your sarcasm. Go, and get your cousin’s luggage back—every single piece. What kind of manners are these?”

Xuanxuan, hearing this, looked at Jiang Muti’s smug smile.

But before that smile could fully spread, Jiang Muti slowly sat down, nonchalantly saying, “Are you sick? Go get her luggage? Why should I and my brother work hard to kick my dad out if I’m going to clean up after her?”

“Do you think this means you can act however you want?” Mother Jiang couldn’t believe it. “You unfilial daughter, your parents are still alive, and you think I won’t call your dad back right now?”

“Let’s not do that!” Jiang Muti replied.

Mother Jiang thought she was giving in and sighed with relief, about to say something more.

But then Jiang Muti looked up, a smile playing on her lips, “I don’t care, but are you sure you can see my dad right now?”

Mother Jiang didn’t react immediately, but then Jiang Muti’s next words made her face turn pale.

“Now that our matters are settled, you don’t need to worry about any unexpected issues. Mom, we don’t need to hide things from you anymore.”

“By the way, I have to say, Mom, you really are something. How did you manage to keep this secret from my dad for so many years? He’s the famous ^[1]“江半城” (Jiang Bancheng) is likely a nickname rather than a real name. It can be interpreted as “Jiang Half the City”, which suggests that this person holds immense power … Continue readingJiang Bancheng, and you’ve kept this from him. You’ve really achieved something, haven’t you?”

“Since my dad has stepped down, there’s plenty of time. Now’s the perfect time to bring up all those old stories for him to sort out.”

“Speaking of which, I’ve never seen my dad truly lose his temper. I’ve heard stories from my brother about how he used to act—tsk, tsk, tsk! Too bad I never got to see it.”

After hearing her daughter’s words, Mother Jiang’s eyes widened, her face turned ashen, and she seemed to tremble slightly.

Even though Jiang Zhide had stepped down, as long as he was alive, he could never be considered a toothless old tiger.

As his closest companion, Mother Jiang knew better than anyone how hard-hearted he was and how strong his sense of pride was.

It was precisely because of his indifference and neglect that, shortly after giving birth to Muti, she couldn’t resist others’ provocations, made a mistake, and ended up pregnant.

She hadn’t wanted the child, but since she had just given birth less than a year ago and her body couldn’t withstand much more, she had no choice but to keep the baby.

Fortunately, during that period, the Jiang family had a long-term project, and it wasn’t unusual for the couple to meet only once every year or so. She also had her younger sister, who was studying abroad at the time, pretend to be sick and leave the country.

All the tests and procedures were done under her sister’s name. Since the two sisters looked alike, the deception went undetected.

The child born was naturally handed over to her sister. As long as no one deliberately investigated, who would have suspected anything?

Even Father Jiang had been deceived for all these years, but how did Jiang Muti find out? She had no reason to know, right?

Mother Jiang felt anxious and afraid. To her, her daughter now seemed like a monster chasing after her life.

At that moment, Mother Jiang looked up and saw Jiang Yunjuan leisurely walking down from the second floor.

She suddenly understood. These two siblings had already made up their minds and prepared for something completely unimaginable.

Not just Jiang Zhide, even she herself was on the list to be excluded.

She gritted her teeth and said to Xuanxuan, “You should leave now. I’ll have someone book a hotel for you. Go stay there for a few days, and I’ll arrange accommodation for you later.”

Xuanxuan, who thought she had won, didn’t know why her aunt suddenly gave in and asked her to leave without saying another word.

“Aunt—”

“Enough, go!” This time, Mother Jiang didn’t wait for anyone to pull her, she herself dragged Xuanxuan out.

Once outside, Xuanxuan completely broke down: “Why? How much longer do you want to humiliate me? I’ve been treated like a dog lately, and now I’m being kicked out. Am I just meant to die?”

Mother Jiang, terrified herself, was no longer in the mood to comfort her illegitimate daughter.

In a low voice, she snapped, “Who are you trying to scare with your drama? If you don’t leave, who knows if you’ll even survive. I’m not joking.”

Her lips turned white as she added, “Jiang Zhide is someone who—even—don’t say you, even I won’t be able to protect myself.”

Xuanxuan wasn’t foolish enough not to understand, and she gasped, “Jiang Muti knows? How could she know? It’s impossible! If even Uncle didn’t know, how could she?”

“It’s Jiang Yunjuan!” Mother Jiang confirmed. “Before this, Jiang Muti had completely forgotten about you all, how could she have connected the dots? It must be Jiang Yunjuan.”

“I don’t know what made him suspicious, but he must have followed the clues and figured it out.”

Although they had managed to deceive everyone, blood relations and genes couldn’t be faked. It wasn’t that it was hard to expose, it was just that ordinary people wouldn’t think to look in that direction.

But once doubt arose, it was easy to uncover the mother-daughter relationship.

Xuanxuan, unwilling to leave, was about to leave when she saw someone rush in.

It was Old Yun, his expression serious and anxious. Having worked here for so many years, he had encountered many crises, but this was the first time she had seen him lose his composure like this.

Mother Jiang instinctively felt that something significant had happened and, without caring about Xuanxuan, hurriedly followed him inside.

Old Yun walked over to Jiang Yunjuan’s side and quietly informed him of something. After listening, Jiang Yunjuan’s expression changed drastically.

At this moment, Jiang Muti was still talking to her aunt’s family.

Although Xuanxuan was her sister’s daughter, her aunt had raised her for many years, so she felt responsible for her.

She had never agreed with her sister’s actions, but after all, she was her biological sister, and she couldn’t just watch her die.

Now, after more than ten years of raising her, it all came to nothing because of her biological mother’s few words of provocation.

Although she had already made up her mind to not get involved in their matters and let them handle their own mess, now that things had become so unpleasant, it was impossible for her aunt’s family to stay any longer.

This was why Xuanxuan was driven away. Her aunt’s family, hearing the news, came over to prepare to say goodbye to their nephew and niece.

Jiang Muti hurriedly tried to persuade them: “Don’t go! Aunt, you’re absolutely welcome here. You know my straightforward temper, I wear my likes and dislikes on my face. Even if you want to stay long-term, I’m happy with it. After all, we share blood relations, why be so polite?”

Mother Jiang had come in to see what was going on, but hearing Jiang Muti’s words, she realized that the girl had been watching everything. She had seen her biological mother making a fool of herself, putting on an act like a clown.

Hearing these words again, Mother Jiang felt a bit dumbfounded.

Her aunt tried to decline, but Jiang Muti continued, “Then you and Uncle can prepare a place to stay. Haohao, you can’t be running around all day, right? Stay here and play for now.”

Little Zhong Ritian also said, “What about the pony that cousin promised me?”

Earlier, Xuanxuan had asked for so many things, and now Haohao was saying this, making it seem like all the children she had raised were spoiled and poorly taught.

Her aunt felt a little awkward but couldn’t help but notice the completely different attitude Jiang Muti had toward the siblings.

She patted her little cousin’s head. “It’s here, and you can ride it, but you’ll need Brother Cheng to take you.”

The little cousin cheered and ran out, no doubt to please Brother Cheng.

Jiang Muti understood her aunt’s feelings. To be honest, she was unlucky to have such a sister.

Compared to Mother Jiang, her aunt was more diplomatic and knew how to handle people, but at her core, she was still an honest and decent person. This could be seen in how she had raised Mother Jiang’s daughter for so many years without ever attempting to extort her sister.

Although the money for studying abroad and the initial capital for her aunt and uncle’s business had certainly come from the Jiang family, if she were truly greedy, with such a compromising piece of information, she could never have remained just an ordinary middle-class family.

And recently, excluding Xuanxuan from the equation, things had been quite pleasant between Jiang Muti and her aunt’s family.

As for Jiang Muti, she was the type of person who gave what she wanted to give to those she liked. She was willing to give as much as she liked to those she cared about.

But for those who were eyeing her, hoping to take advantage while secretly insulting her, she wouldn’t even want to give them a single thing.

After comforting her aunt’s family, Jiang Muti looked up and saw Old Yun talking to her brother, their expressions serious.

Jiang Muti, puzzled, asked, “What’s going on?”

Jiang Yunjuan looked up, and the expression on his face made Jiang Muti freeze for a moment.

This was the first time she had seen her brother with such a complicated expression, even more so than when he was in the company’s meeting room.

It was a mixture of joy and sorrow, as if something that had been supporting him had suddenly collapsed. It was also a sense of confusion, as though he had stepped into empty space and didn’t know what to do, and an inexplicable sense of lostness.

He heard his sister’s voice and looked over, his heart seemingly engaged in a relentless struggle.

After a long pause, he finally said, “Dad’s plane crashed, and all three people onboard, including the pilot, are—”

Destroyed, dead!

Jiang Muti was momentarily stunned, her mind feeling as though it had been enclosed by a giant bell, and then someone had struck it heavily from the outside.

A buzzing sound filled her ears.

She had no emotional attachment to Father Jiang, and even if there had been any empathy, it couldn’t have been this strong.

Jiang Muti understood that perhaps there was something here, something that triggered the despair of the original person, causing a resonant feeling.

The once vast mansion suddenly became heavy with an oppressive atmosphere.

Even though Jiang Muti had succeeded in usurping power and was on top just a moment ago, she couldn’t help but feel her shoulders slump in defeat.

The phone call came to the butler’s room, where external affairs were handled. They said a signal was sent before the crash, but with air disasters, if a forced landing wasn’t successful, it could only mean one thing.

By the time help arrived, only wreckage remained. After confirming the identity, they contacted the family.

In fact, the plane had already flown out of the country by this time.

Finally, Jiang Yunjuan made the decision: “I’ll go and bring Dad’s body back. Mom and Muti, stay here and start preparing. Old Yun will help.”

Jiang Muti had no objection to this arrangement, though she instinctively glanced at her mother.

She realized her mother’s expression was even more complicated than her brother’s. This could be understood—her illegitimate daughter status had just been exposed, and if Father Jiang knew, it would mean disaster.

Now, with Father Jiang gone, even if this secret were revealed, her reputation might suffer, but the actual damage wouldn’t be significant.

But after all, they had been married for many years. How could his sudden death not be a heavy blow?

What bothered Jiang Muti was why her mother kept glancing at her brother, her eyes filled with hesitation and fear.

Before she could think more on this, she heard a small, surprised gasp.

Turning around, she saw Xuanxuan had returned at some point. She must have heard the bad news as well.

But she could also deduce that since Father Jiang was dead, her own crisis was naturally resolved.

Without Father Jiang’s threat, Jiang Muti couldn’t possibly force her mother to throw her out now, could she?

A light expression appeared on her face, but then she saw Jiang Muti pointing at her and saying, “I told you to get rid of her. It’s been over half an hour, and she’s still here?”

“Things will get chaotic at home next. If suspicious people aren’t cleared out, what if something is stolen?”

The servants quickly came forward, not allowing anyone to resist, and directly escorted her out of the house, throwing her into the car.

Even Mother Jiang didn’t have time to pay attention to this side.