Visiting Part 2

Since this was a busy area, it wasn’t suitable to discuss these matters with Lin Chengshan here, so they decided to wait.

Before leaving, Old Madam Ji glanced at Lin Qingqing again.

Lin Qingqing was holding a cloth doll given to her by Xiao Man. Lin Chengshan wanted to take the doll away, but seeing Lin Qingqing’s reluctance, he allowed her to keep it.

Old Madam Ji thought the doll was very old, yet Lin Qingqing still held onto it so tightly, showing how much she cherished it.

In the evening, Old Master Ji and Old Madam Ji returned home, and Ji Zenan was still waiting at their doorstep.

“Dad,” Ji Zenan hurried up, dragging his daughter Ji Mingzhu along.

“I’m not your father,” Old Master Ji said.

“Grandpa,” Ji Mingzhu was pushed in front of Old Master Ji by Ji Zenan.

This reminded Old Master Ji of his granddaughter, who had to set up a stall outside the mall with his son on a hot day. He had seen death and separation on the battlefield. His heart wasn’t soft enough to be easily swayed by Ji Mingzhu.

Ji Mingzhu was not Old Master Ji’s biological granddaughter, and her biological grandparents were considered enemies of the Ji family.

In the past, Old Master Ji had seen Ji Mingzhu often and had invested a lot of affection in her. But when he learned his biological son had been swapped, he felt very conflicted. He knew this matter had to be resolved.

Old Master Ji had been a commander before, and he knew how to handle such situations without needing anyone to tell him.

“Ji Zenan, you’re not my biological son. You should know that now,” Old Master Ji said. “We haven’t asked for anything back from you. We’ve been more than generous. Don’t come back again.”

“Dad…”

“Don’t call me that, you don’t have the right to.” Old Master Ji said.

“Dad, how can I not be your biological son? If you think I’ve done something wrong, you can tell me to correct it. I can change,” Ji Zenan said anxiously.

“Not being biological doesn’t change the fact. Go back to your own home and see your real mother and older brother. You have so much, and your wife’s family is quite influential. You can still stay in Rongcheng City,” Old Madam Ji said.

Old Madam Ji knew it wasn’t Ji Zenan’s fault. His wife, Liu Ting, came from the Liu family, which was doing very well in Rongcheng City. Without the Ji family’s support, Ji Zenan still had the Liu family backing him. With Ji Zenan and his wife already having children, it was unlikely they would divorce over this matter.

Ji Zenan was left outside, and his daughter was not allowed to enter the Ji residence.

This made Ji Zenan extremely angry. He kicked the iron gate forcefully, injuring his foot. It was frustrating—truly frustrating. How could these people treat him like this?

Even if he wasn’t their biological child, he had been their son for many years. Couldn’t they treat him a little better?

Ji Zenan could only take his child back home. He glanced at Ji Mingzhu and muttered, “Useless thing.”

When Ji Zenan returned home, he saw his wife, Liu Ting, sitting in the living room. In front of Liu Ting was a newspaper, which published details about the Ji family and Ji Zenan’s real relationship, as well as what Ji Zenan’s biological parents had done.

“Why aren’t you a Ji family member?” Liu Ting was confused.

Liu Ting had been out with friends and felt that people were looking at her oddly. Later, she realized that such a big scandal had occurred in the Ji family, and Ji Zenan wasn’t the Ji family’s biological son.

The Ji family had not consulted the Liu family before releasing this information.

Liu Ting was increasingly upset. “Couldn’t they have said you were still their son, or at least adopted you? That would have worked too.”

“They didn’t. When I went to find them, they wouldn’t let me in,” Ji Zenan sighed. “They wanted to catch us off guard, going public without giving us a chance to react.”

“I heard your real mother was sent over today?” Liu Ting asked.

“Yes, my elder brother sent them over,” Ji Zenan replied.

“Elder brother? Is he still your elder brother?” Liu Ting said. “They never liked you, and now you’re not even a Ji family member. They treat you like you’re not once part of the family.”

“I…” Ji Zenan opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. The situation had reached a point where it was beyond his control.

“If they had discussed it with my parents, it might have been easier to handle,” Liu Ting was very unhappy but felt powerless. The Ji family had clearly made up their minds. Even if they tried to reconcile now, it wouldn’t make a difference.

“Do Mom and Dad know?” Ji Zenan asked.

“They know,” Liu Ting said. “They even called earlier, saying that whatever the Ji family gave you, they don’t want it back, treating it as compensation for me.”

Liu Ting was naturally very upset. She felt her dignity had been completely lost. She had married a man from a rural background, and now Ji Zenan wasn’t even recognized as a Ji family member.

Mother Liu advised Liu Ting to hold on. There was nothing else to be done. Liu Ting and Ji Zenan had been married for many years and had children. The Ji family hadn’t asked for anything back, likely considering the Liu family’s face. If Liu Ting and Ji Zenan caused more trouble, the Ji family might get angry.

Recently, the Ji family’s situation had been improving rapidly, while the Liu family was falling behind.

The Liu family didn’t want Liu Ting to fall out with the Ji family. Even if Ji Zenan wasn’t a Ji family member, the Ji family still owed Liu Ting. The Liu family had allowed Liu Ting to marry Ji Zenan because he was a Ji family member.

“My parents also said you should never go there again,” Liu Ting said.

“Never go there again?” Ji Zenan was shocked.

“Yes, you’ve been abandoned!” Liu Ting was frustrated. “Because of you, I’m useless at my parents’ place too.”

Liu Ting was furious. Her once proud in-laws were no longer her in-laws. Liu Ting was infuriated but had to calm down. She needed to listen to her parents. If she made things worse, the Ji family would think she was unreasonable.

“Do you think you’re still their beloved son? Do they still feel guilty towards you? In the past, they were so sympathetic because you lived in the countryside for several years. Now, their biological son has been living in the countryside for years, and he’s being mistreated by your real mother. Do you think they want to see you?” Liu Ting said.

“This isn’t my fault…”

“You enjoyed the benefits,” Liu Ting said. She told her parents it wasn’t Ji Zenan’s fault, but her parents said Ji Zenan had already received many benefits and should accept them while he could before there was nothing left.

The Ji family had been good enough to Ji Zenan, especially considering the Liu family’s face.

Early the next morning, Lin Chengshan returned from buying groceries and saw Old Master Ji and Old Madam Ji standing at his doorstep.

“It’s not time to open the stall yet.” Lin Chengshan knew that his soup dumplings and egg burgers were quite good, but his cooking skills weren’t so exceptional that Old Master Ji and Old Madam Ji would come all the way to his doorstep just for them.