Chapter 403: Dropping All Pretenses
Chapter 403: Chapter 403: Dropping All Pretenses
"Su, dear, try some of these pastries," Old Mrs. An said with a smile, having a servant bring out tea and pastries at the An Family’s old residence. "These are our chef’s specialty. They’re quite delicious."
"Thank you, Old Mrs. An." Su Qing smiled and nodded.
Old Mr. Gong snorted. "Alright, let’s get down to business. We’re in a hurry to get back."
’If it weren’t for helping that boy, An Zhihan, I would never have set foot in the An Family’s old residence, not even come near it.’
Hearing Old Mr. Gong’s words, Old Mrs. An sighed. "Cousin, you’ve finally made it to Xiangcheng. Can’t we have a proper family reunion? I’ve already had lunch prepared. Stay and eat with us."
"Heh, forget it," Old Mr. Gong said with a cold snort. "I have no desire to see that old bastard An Yiliang, and I certainly won’t touch any food from your An Family."
"Cousin, Yiliang is bedridden now. His lucid moments are becoming fewer and fewer. I’m afraid..." Old Mrs. An sighed softly. ’She knew how much Old Mr. Gong detested the An Family; his agreeing to treat An Zhihan was already an unexpected blessing. Still, she couldn’t help but test the waters, to see if he might have a sudden pang of compassion and take a look at An Yiliang. The chances were slim, but she had to try. After all, she had lived with An Yiliang for decades. He might have wronged the Gong Family, but he had always been exceptionally good to her.’
"Heh, so he’s dying, is he?" Old Mr. Gong sneered. "The day An Yiliang finally kicks the bucket, you be sure to let me know. I’ll buy several strings of firecrackers and set them all off to celebrate that old bastard finally going to hell."
"Cousin!" Hearing his words, Old Mrs. An stared at him in disbelief. "After all these years, do you really still hate us this much?"
Old Mr. Gong said nothing, his cold expression making his stance clear.
Old Mrs. An sighed softly, knowing this resentment would likely never be resolved.
"In any case, I’m already very grateful that you’re willing to treat Zhi Han." Realizing Old Mr. Gong and Su Qing would not be staying for lunch, Old Mrs. An didn’t press the issue. Instead, she handed an envelope to Su Qing. "Inside this envelope are the seal and withdrawal slip to collect gold from Hang Seng Bank. You can go and collect it directly. It’s a total of two million worth of gold. I will deliver the remaining eight million in full once you find the medicinal herbs."
Without any pretense, Su Qing accepted the envelope. "I will do my best to find them," she said.
"Su, thank you for your trouble." Old Mrs. An nodded at Su Qing before turning to Old Mr. Gong. "Cousin, I’m entrusting our Zhi Han to you."
"Hmph, you don’t have to tell me. I’ll do my best to treat that kid, Zhi Han." Old Mr. Gong rolled his eyes dramatically. "After all, he’s about the only decent person left in your An Family. The rest are a nest of scoundrels, rotten to the core. I have no idea how you managed to raise such a bunch of menaces, every one of them using their cunning only to harm others."
’Old Mr. Gong was well aware of what An Zhiwei had done to Cheng Beilin. If that girl hadn’t already gone to prison and received her punishment, he would have absolutely found a way to get revenge for his apprentice’s wife personally.’
Old Mrs. An’s face burned with shame. ’When she had first learned about what An Zhiwei did, she had been furious, but also utterly exhausted. She felt a deep sense of unease about the An Family’s future, not even daring to imagine if the family could maintain its current standing after she and An Yiliang were truly gone.’
In short, the An and Cheng families had now officially torn away all pretenses. The Cheng Family hadn’t even sent the An Family an invitation to Cheng Beilin’s wedding banquet. What’s more, the Chengs had recently been suppressing the An Family’s businesses, both openly and behind the scenes, making it clear they intended to fight them to the bitter end.
"Alright, since the deposit is paid, we won’t stay any longer. Su, let’s go," Old Mr. Gong said, rising to his feet and striding toward the door.
Su Qing gave Old Mrs. An a cool nod. "Old Mrs. An, we’ll take our leave."
Just as Old Mrs. An got to her feet, she heard a commotion at the entrance, and An Zhiqian walked in.
An Zhiqian had come to the old residence to visit his grandparents, but he froze, not expecting to see Su Qing there. His expression as he looked at her was complicated. ’Su Qing helped Cheng Beilin escape, and as a result, his own sister was sent to prison. No matter what the An Family tried, they couldn’t get An Zhiwei out. The incident wasn’t just a stain on An Zhiwei’s record—it had become a stain on the entire An Family. Countless people now looked down on the character of every An Family member because of it!’
’And Su Qing was the cause of it all. If she hadn’t interfered, the An Family never would have been so thoroughly disgraced in public.’
’The An Family couldn’t afford to go against the Cheng Family, and Su Qing had been in the mainland. For months, a fire of resentment had been simmering inside An Zhiqian.’
Seeing Su Qing about to leave with Old Mr. Gong, An Zhiqian could no longer contain his anger. He spoke in a cold voice, "Miss Su Qing. You’re the one who put my sister in prison. Don’t you have anything to say to the An Family?"
Su Qing had seen An Zhiqian, of course, but she had no favorable impression of him and had simply pretended he wasn’t there. Now, hearing his accusation, she shot him a contemptuous glance. "Oh? She deserved it."
"Those people slandered my sister," An Zhiqian retorted furiously. "Now her name is ruined, and our family’s reputation has been dragged through the mud along with it. Do you really not feel the least bit guilty?"
"Hah!" An Zhiqian’s words made Su Qing roll her eyes. "An Zhiwei deliberately tried to harm someone, and your family feels no guilt. So why should I? An Zhiqian, if you’ve got a problem with your brain, go see a doctor. Don’t just fly off the handle at people, unless you’re looking to get punched."
"You..."
"Zhi Qian!" Old Mrs. An’s voice was stern. "Be quiet."
"Grandma!" An Zhiqian looked back at Old Mrs. An, but when he turned to face Su Qing again, she had already left the old residence with Old Mr. Gong.
Indignant, An Zhiqian started to chase after them, but Old Mrs. An snapped, "An Zhiqian, stop right there! Hasn’t the An Family been disgraced enough?"
"Grandma, it’s our little sister who’s in prison!" An Zhiqian said, looking at Old Mrs. An resentfully.
"If Zhiwei hadn’t tried to harm someone, she wouldn’t be facing this prison sentence," Old Mrs. An said, looking at An Zhiqian. "I don’t care what you think, but you are not to cause any trouble for that girl."
"Grandma, Zhiwei is your own granddaughter! How can you side with an outsider?" An Zhiqian demanded resentfully. Then he frowned. "Grandma, what was Su Qing doing at our house? And who was that old man?"