Chapter 27: Borrowing Money

The Zhang family made a grand show of inviting relatives and friends over for a meal. Although they never mentioned how much compensation they received for the relocation, everything they did hinted that they were “wealthy,” and “super wealthy” at that.

Just look at the dishes on the table, which are said to be from the highest tier of Sovereign Hotel. A single table costs two thousand! With fifty tables, that’s a hundred thousand!

After hearing this, Chen Jin glanced at the large lobster placed in front of her and patted the worried Chen Yongan, saying, “It’s a rare treat with two thousand worth of dishes. Don’t think about those unnecessary things. Just eat well and enjoy the spectacle later.”

“Spectacle? What kind of spectacle?” Although Chen Yongan was still thinking about his uncle’s changes, hearing the people at the next table mention that the cost was two thousand per table eased his mind significantly, and he began to ponder with his third sister about how to eat the lobster.

They were also in a coastal province, so they weren’t lacking in seafood, but they had never seen lobsters as big as human heads before.

Chen Jin smiled but said nothing. Her older male cousins exchanged knowing glances and chuckled.

Now that the Zhang family was separated, their aunt had come over to host them, and their side felt relatively quiet. However, her two sisters-in-law were not so quiet; their maternal family was eyeing the Zhang family’s wealth with envy. There were also the relatives of Mrs. Zhangs mother-in-laws family and old man Zhang’s married sisters…

Having many relatives isn’t a problem, but the fear is that some relatives will cling on like leeches, and seeing that, the other relatives will surely want a piece of the pie.

Just look at when old man Zhang came over to toast; it was unclear whether he was just trying to ingratiate himself in front of her eldest uncle or genuinely wanted to buy a shop under her aunt’s name, but he said it nonetheless. Chen Jin didn’t miss the expressions on her aunt’s two sisters-in-law’s faces; they looked as if they had eaten flies. It goes without saying that there would be trouble when they got back.

And perhaps they wouldn’t even have to wait until they got back.

After eating to about eighty percent full, Chen Jin felt she couldn’t eat any more, especially since she was thinking about the fruit for dessert later. Chen Jia and Tian Miao said they needed to go to the bathroom, and she and Chen Ting were pulled along to accompany them.

If time could be turned back, Chen Jin would have adamantly refused to accompany them on this trip!

As soon as she returned to the hall, she initially thought the noise was just people drinking too much and getting excited, but after walking a few steps in, she realized something was off. This wasn’t just loud chatting; they were actually fighting!

Looking up, she saw Chen Yongan waving to her with an excited expression. Chen Jin’s heart raced as she hurried over and whispered, “What’s going on?”

Chen Yongan covered his mouth, saying, “The family of my aunt’s sister-in-law just asked Old Man Zhang for money, saying that Boss Zhang is the eldest son and should get the larger share of the family fortune. They want it divided out now, or they’re afraid of unexpected events later.”

Chen Yongfei had somehow moved closer and added, “They also said either give Boss Zhang money or buy a house for their youngest son in Hanlin Garden. Tsk tsk.”

Chen Jin replied, “…They really are quite bold.”

She knew that the Zhang family’s relatives would cause trouble sooner or later, but she didn’t expect the reason for the trouble to be so absurd. A daughter-in-law’s maternal family pressuring their father-in-law to divide the inheritance? Ridiculous! She had never seen anything like it and felt she needed to see more.

“The family of my aunt’s siblings is making noise too, saying if there’s going to be a division, they might as well divide everything.”

“Ah?! What about Old Man Zhang? Is he just watching them make a fuss?” Chen Jin felt that Old Man Zhang was a bit out of touch, but not to the point of being foolish. He spent money extravagantly but was also thinking about using it for other investments to continue making money. Otherwise, why would he ask her uncle about land in the outskirts of western District?

“Old Man Zhang is keeping a cool head; he directly stated that the two daughters-in-law should consider for themselves—if they can keep living at home, then fine; if not, they should divorce and leave. The relocation money and properties are all under Old Man Zhang’s name, so if they divorce now, they won’t get anything. Just now, Boss Zhang also scolded his wife, and it nearly turned into a fight.”

Chen Jin clicked her tongue and glanced at another noisy direction, raising her chin, “What’s going on over there?”

Chen Yongfei replied, “I don’t understand which relative of the Zhang family it was, but one person started asking to borrow two million for business, and then others followed suit, wanting to borrow a million each. Some even wanted to borrow as little as two hundred thousand.”

The group that had just returned, including Chen Jia, felt it was hard to express their feelings. Was two hundred thousand just like borrowing twenty or two hundred?

Second cousin Chen Yongxin seemed to think of something and looked pointedly at Chen Ting, saying, “It’s better to be low-key if you have money. When someone is too flashy, they attract attention. People asking to borrow money is small; for some aggressive ones, seeking wealth can lead to dire consequences.”

Chen Ting felt annoyed to be singled out by her second brother; she understood his words were a pointed remark about her, but did it have to be brought up now? What would the other cousins think of her later?

She angrily turned her face away.

Chen Jin had come back a bit late, blaming it on the long line for the women’s restroom outside, which took up some time. If she had returned earlier, she could have watched the commotion. Ah! She missed it!

At this point, the commotion-makers noticed that Old Man Zhang had a dark expression and was silent, gradually losing the courage to continue making a scene. One by one, they shrank back into their seats. Some had been egged on by drink and thought to cause a stir, but now that their drunkenness was fading, they realized they had acted foolishly.

Everyone knew the Zhang family had become rich, and the lives of these relatives were indeed tough. If they had asked nicely for a loan, it wouldn’t be difficult. The problem was that they had made a scene in this setting…

“If I were Old Man Zhang, I wouldn’t bother with these people when I got home,” Chen Yongfei said. “Did you not see how ugly Old Man Zhang’s face looked just now?”

However, second cousin Chen Yongxin chuckled and said, “Not necessarily; once they get back, these people will still come to speak sweet words. They might still borrow money, but it’s not going to be hundreds of thousands.”

“Ah? Why? What do you think he wants?”

Chen Yongxin glanced around the lavishly decorated banquet hall. “Some people just enjoy being flattered.”

There would still be internal disputes within the Zhang family, but they couldn’t stay to watch the show any longer. Chen Jin’s aunt noticed their unfinished thoughts and laughed, saying, “I’ll tell you more when we go back another day.”

Haha, as expected, it’s still the Chen family!

Chen Jin was very satisfied with the meal. She drove to take her second uncle’s family home, while her eldest and third uncles each had their own cars, especially her eldest uncle’s family, which had three sedans!

However, her eldest uncle, eldest cousin, and second cousin were all busy with their respective work. Even though her second cousin worked in the same construction company as her eldest uncle, they were both occupied with different responsibilities.

Her second uncle also got a building in Qiaoxi Village; Chen Jin guessed that his money wasn’t too handy and that he might have borrowed some from her eldest uncle.

After witnessing the commotion over the weekend, when Chen Jin returned to work on Monday, she encountered the vice president’s wife coming to the company to catch her husband in the act. She created a scene in the secretary’s office, and it was unclear what she was thinking as she even ran to the administration department to stir trouble.

As soon as she arrived, she casually picked up a colleague’s potted plant and smashed it, drawing everyone’s attention. She shouted while scanning the room, “Using other men’s money to buy cars and houses? Come out!”

Lin Xinran frowned, “How crazy. After causing a ruckus at the front desk and then the finance room, is she here to stir up trouble in the secretary’s office and our admin department today?”

Having spent time with Chen Jin, Lin Xinran found herself using the term “crazy” to describe someone’s unreasonable behavior when she couldn’t find another word.

Someone had already gone to find Manager Yao, and others were notifying the vice president.

“She comes here to make trouble every time. Doesn’t the group ever think of letting the vice president manage her?”

“Look at her. Can she even be managed? The vice president’s husband is a relative of the boss, and another vice president earned her position through merit. Just look at the difference.”

Soon, someone came to persuade the troublemaker to leave. Each time, it was like a whirlwind, creating chaos before leaving a mess behind, further tarnishing the reputation of a certain vice president.

The temple is shallow, and there are many turtles; when the temple is large, there are more madmen and madwomen.

Chen Jin thought the boring work had just gained a little extra spice. But she didn’t expect this nonsense would end up involving her.

The next morning, it seemed like someone was secretly watching her, and the look in their eyes was off. Chen Jin didn’t guess blindly; she went directly to ask Sister Ming, the administrative department’s most informed person, “What are they whispering about behind my back?”

“You heard something?”

“I didn’t hear anything, but I’m familiar with that look—they’re definitely up to no good.” Hadn’t she seen enough of that in the village?

Sister Ming looked at her sympathetically. “They’re just jealous. They see you’re good-looking and drive a nice car, and they’ve linked you to the vice president’s wife’s rumored little lover.”

Chen Jin nearly rolled her eyes to the back of her head. What a bunch of gossip!

In no time, the entire administrative department learned the first-hand news from Lin Xinran: Chen Jin was a relocation resident.

The long-standing mystery finally had an answer: she wasn’t a rich second generation; she had directly become a rich first generation through relocation.

Chen Jin not only had a car but also lived in a house worth over a million, with dozens of properties collecting rent…

The rumors fell apart on their own; the vice president couldn’t even afford to keep a mistress.

Sister Ming joked with her, “Before, some people thought you were some rich young lady and didn’t dare pursue you. Now they’re confident and ready to make their move.”

Chen Jin didn’t understand. “They think a rich girl wouldn’t look at them; should I, Chen Jin, as a nouveau riche, look down on them?”

“Who told you to be single? Some people think they have a chance. What kind of person are you looking for?”

Chen Jin casually replied, “Tall, handsome, someone with a higher education than me, and richer. Missing any of those would be unacceptable.”

“Aren’t your standards a bit high?”

“My mom left me such a large inheritance; I shouldn’t have to suffer at someone else’s house, right? If they’re not tall, handsome, educated, or rich, what’s the point? Is it one-on-one poverty alleviation?”

Sister Ming: “…” She couldn’t argue with that logic; it made perfect sense.

Thinking about it, would someone as good-looking, educated, and wealthy as her look at someone who was inferior in any way?

Chen Jin spoke loudly, so most of the people in the administrative department could hear. For the next half month, no one approached her. Perhaps they were privately cursing her for looking down on them just because she was rich, but so what?

After finishing her last shift of January, Chen Jin exchanged contact information with Manager Yao, An Lan, and Sister Ming. She and Lin Xinran went to the finance department to collect this month’s internship salary early.

The winter vacation officially began.

“Chen Jin, what are you going to do during winter break?”

“A lot of things,” Chen Jin counted them out.

Collecting rent, learning makeup, changing her hairstyle, checking on the houses built in Qiaoxi Village, and asking others if they wanted to travel to Beijing after the new year…

There was indeed a lot to do.