Recognizing Kin Part 3

After interacting with Old Master Ji and others, Lin Chengshan realized that Ji Zenan had a closer relationship with Dong Weixin. The two were about a year or two apart in age and had grown up together, so their bond was naturally strong.

“If you don’t want to see them…”

“Let them come,” Ji Chengshan said to Old Madam Ji. “Let them come. Even if we don’t meet now, we will meet in the future. After all… heh, we are all relatives. Qingqing will have to call them uncle and aunt in the future. We can’t have her calling them stepfather or mother. They wouldn’t want that.”

Old Madam Ji looked at Old Master Ji, holding Qingqing in her arms. “Come, Qingqing, look, your clothes are all wet. In this hot weather, your grandfather should have said something. It’s easy to get sick like this.”

After Old Madam Ji took Qingqing away, Old Master Ji said, “Don’t talk about these matters in front of the child. She’s still young and doesn’t understand these things. Since she’s been calling her ‘aunt,’ there’s no need to change it.”

Old Master Ji didn’t want his granddaughter to be hurt. After spending some time with her, he knew how well-behaved she was. At first, she had been cautious and very timid. She had suffered a lot in the past, and they had worked hard to make her more cheerful. They didn’t want her to revert to her old self.

“They want to hold the wedding banquet before your ex-wife starts school, so we will let everyone get to know you before Qingqing starts school.” Old Master Ji said.

Old Master Ji had already decided that the issue of whether they were relatives or not was not important. What mattered was his precious granddaughter. He couldn’t let others think he didn’t care for his granddaughter or let anyone look down on her.

When the Xiao family received the invitation, they were a bit stunned. They did not expect the Ji family to invite them. Old Master Ji had specially sent the invitation to the Xiao family, meaning that since the Xiao family was related to the Dong family, and Xiao Man was Qingqing’s aunt, so of course the Xiao family had to go.

When Xiao Man saw the invitation, she tried to tear it up but was stopped by Mother Xiao.

“Tearing it up won’t change anything,” Mother Xiao said. “If you want to stay with Dong Weixin, then you have to go. They sent us an invitation, so your father and I have to go too.”

Even if the Ji family wanted to insult the Xiao family, they had to go.

However, the Ji family was not interested in insulting the Xiao family. When Dong Weixin and Xiao Man walked in together, Old Master Ji introduced them to Qingqing, deliberately saying, “Here, this is Uncle, and this is Aunt.”

“Uncle, Aunt,” Qingqing said obediently. She knew that was not her mother. Her mother had to be someone else’s mother.

“…” Xiao Man opened her mouth, wanting to say that Qingqing should call her “mommy.”

However, they had previously decided that Qingqing should call Xiao Man “Aunt,” and the Xiao family did not allow Qingqing to call Xiao Man “mommy.”

At this moment, the Ji family having Qingqing call Xiao Man “Aunt” was perfectly normal.

Others observing this understood the Ji family’s attitude.

Xiao Man was not Qingqing’s mother. She could only be Qingqing’s aunt.

Old Master Ji did not care whether Xiao Man responded or not. He was too old to hold Qingqing comfortably, so he and his wife took turns holding her, and he also let Ji Chengshan hold the child.

Ji Zenan’s family did not receive an invitation and could not attend. It was not that Ji Zenan did not want to go. It was that the Ji family did not allow him to come.

In just over a month, things had changed significantly. Ji Zenan still had to deal with the Lin family and could not afford to offend the Ji family. In the past, he could rely on his status as the Ji family’s biological son to get by, and others would support him. Now, without being a biological son, many things have changed.

Old Lady Lin learned about Ji Chengshan opening the store and thought she could open a store too. She insisted that Ji Zenan give them money to help them open a store.

“I don’t have any money, not a penny,” Ji Zenan said. “It’s only been a few days, and you’re asking for money again? Do you think I’m a bank?”

“Give us a store, and we won’t bother you anymore,” Old Lady Lin said.

“Do you believe that?” Ji Zenan replied. “I certainly don’t.”

Ji Zenan did not believe Old Lady Lin. She was not a good person.

“I can send Lin Chenghai to the police station once, and I can send all of you there,” Ji Zenan said. “If you want to stay in Rongcheng City, you can’t come to me. Go wherever you want!”

Old Lady Lin was a bit scared and didn’t dare to face Ji Zenan herself. She wanted Lin Chenghai to go instead.

Lin Chenghai was also afraid and did not go.

Then, in the cramped house, Lin Chenghai argued with Old Lady Lin.

“This is all retribution, all retribution!” Lin Chenghai said. “I knew you swapped the children back then, but I didn’t say anything!”

Lin Chenghai, with red eyes, said, “If you want to stay here, stay. We’re going back to the countryside.”

Lin Chenghai took his wife and daughter back to the countryside. They did not want to squeeze into the cramped living room. Lin Chengjiang’s family was better. They could still sleep in a room. Lin Chenghai did not want to always sleep in the living room and was more afraid of being sent to the police station, fearing serious trouble.

Old Lady Lin clearly did not expect Lin Chenghai to take his family back to the countryside so quickly. She did not want to return to the countryside or hear others criticize her. It was too difficult to endure. Old Lady Lin wanted to stay in the city, even if it meant picking up scraps.

Lin Chengjiang encouraged Old Lady Lin to go to the newspapers to force Ji Zenan to give them money. Old Lady Lin, feeling even more distressed about Lin Chengjiang, actually went to find a reporter.

In reality, while Lin Chengjiang urged Old Lady Lin to find a reporter, he went to Ji Zenan to ask for money. After Lin Chengjiang got the money, he took his wife and children back to the countryside. He certainly could not let Lin Chenghai take over the house.

As for Old Lady Lin and her husband, they were left to cause trouble in Rongcheng City. Ji Zenan felt he had been tricked. Lin Chengjiang had promised to control Old Lady Lin, but he had not done so.

“You don’t handle me, and I’ll hang myself at your door!” Old Lady Lin threatened.

This made Liu Ting very upset. Liu Ting also had a reason to divorce Ji Zenan. Ji Zenan did not want the divorce, but it was not up to him. With the Liu family pressuring him, Ji Zenan ended up divorcing Liu Ting.

“Are you happy now?” Ji Zenan gritted his teeth. “Are you happy now?”

Old Lady Lin did not want Ji Zenan to divorce. She just wanted Ji Zenan to give her money. “If you had given us money, it wouldn’t be like this.”

Ji Zenan hated Old Lady Lin deeply. He decided to take the remaining assets and move to another city, leaving Old Lady Lin behind. Ji Zenan was never a particularly capable person, and he spent money recklessly. He could not live well in another city and ended up living worse than an ordinary person.

Later, Ji Zenan did what Old Lady Lin did. He went to find his biological children. When he divorced, his children went to the Liu family, so Ji Zenan went to the Liu family to find his biological children.

In the early 1990s, Ji Chengshan did not expect Xiao Man to come to him for help. It turned out that Dong Weixin’s company was in trouble. Dong Weixin’s company was reported for tax evasion, and there were problems with the company’s products.

“Please, please help him!” Xiao Man did not get pregnant again, but she knew that Ji Qingqing could never treat her as a mother, so she could only be nice to her stepchildren.

“If it’s illegal, then follow the law,” Ji Chengshan said. “You should find him a better lawyer.”

Ji Chengshan could not support Dong Weixin. If Dong Weixin were running his business properly, such problems would not arise.

Over the years, Ji Chengshan was very fearful, afraid that one day he would wake up and find that his daughter was no longer alive. Afraid that his daughter might be gone.

Xiao Man suddenly knelt down in front of Ji Chengshan, but Ji Chengshan ignored her.

Ji Chengshan once had a dream where Xiao Man was the heroine of a novel, Dong Weixin was the hero, and it was a story about a stepmother in modern times… and he was the villain, while his daughter was the cannon fodder. Xiao Man even told others how heartbroken she was over her lost biological daughter… Xiao Man was really good at putting on an act.

Xiao Man did not dare to go find Qingqing. If she did, the Ji family would be even less likely to help her.

How did things end up like this? Xiao Man did not understand. She really did not understand!

“This is what you gave to Qingqing. Take it back,” Ji Chengshan said, throwing the doll that Xiao Man had once given to Qingqing in front of her. “Qingqing already has other toys.”