Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire

Chapter 81: Chapter 75 Sun Xun is Captured

Lu Jiaxin brought the conversation back to Sun Xun’s family, “Brother Gu, once Sun Xun loses all his money, he’ll surely set his sights on the children again.”

Gu Wenfeng responded affirmatively, “Sun Xun’s gambling addiction is getting worse by the day. It won’t be long before he loses all his money, and then he’ll certainly sell the children.”

He paused before adding, “His wife can’t afford to raise six children. Even if Sun Xun doesn’t sell them, to survive, she’ll have to send away the younger ones.”

This was not mere speculation from Gu Wenfeng; he had already heard that someone had come by with the intention of adopting the twins. It was just that Sun’s wife couldn’t bear to part with them and was still holding on.

Lu Jiaxin detested people like that the most, “Gambling is a crime, and now with the strict crackdown, let the Public Security Bureau arrest him.”

If arrested now, harsher and stricter measures would be taken. With charges of organized gambling and past offenses, a sentence of ten years wouldn’t be a problem. After ten years, when the children would have grown up, they wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore.

Gu Wenfeng had long thought of taking action but had concerns, “If Sun Xun gets arrested for gambling, he will definitely be fired from the factory and then they won’t be able to live in that storage room anymore. A widow and her orphans will have an even harder life with nowhere to live.”

He had been meaning to discuss this matter with Lu Jiaxin for days, but in the end, reason prevailed. It was kind of her to offer help, but if he suggested it, it would seem like coercion.

After some thought, Lu Jiaxin said, “Send her five thousand yuan anonymously. With that money, she can buy a house and still have some left. Without the scum Sun Xun dragging them down and with this sum, she should be able to raise the children.”

Gu Wenfeng was quite moved, but he still replied, “Five thousand is too much. Giving them one or two thousand should be enough.”

Lu Jiaxin hung her head and said softly, “Five thousand is a lot, but if those seven cannot survive, I will feel guilty for the rest of my life.”

In his head, he should try to persuade Lu Jiaxin, since the sum was too large; yet thinking of the pitiful mother and seven children, Gu Wenfeng found he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Seeing his conflict, Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, “You accompany me to Peng City, and when the time comes, help me sell the painting for a high price. Then five thousand won’t seem like much.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ɴονǤօ.сօ

Gu Wenfeng immediately nodded and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to inquire thoroughly for you.”

The two went out to eat at a state-owned restaurant for lunch. Although Gu Wenfeng had excellent reflexes, his cooking skills were another story. Lu Jiaxin was quite skilled in cooking, but her willingness to cook depended on her mood, and right then, she didn’t want to go into the kitchen, so eating out was the only option.

In the afternoon, they went to the antique market, where Lu Jiaxin first bought two beautiful vases, and then she went to buy paintings.

When Lu Jiaxin saw a Longevity Painting, she inquired about the price with the owner, who unexpectedly asked for one thousand, “This is a genuine piece by Liu Songnian, a great painter of the Southern Song Dynasty. You definitely won’t be at a loss if you buy it.”

“Five yuan.”

Gu Wenfeng, who had been worried about her being swindled, was stunned by her counteroffer. The asking price was ruthless, but her bid was even more so.

The shopkeeper’s face turned sour, “Young Lady, this is a genuine piece by Liu Songnian of the Southern Song Dynasty. Even a thousand yuan is too little in my opinion.”

Lu Jiaxin replied with a smile, “A genuine piece by Liu Songnian? Uncle, although I might not understand antiques, if it were really Liu Songnian’s work, it would go for no less than ten thousand yuan. How could you possibly sell it to me for one thousand?”

After some haggling, she finally bought the painting for ten yuan. Afterwards, Lu Jiaxin also bought some ink and wash paintings and flora and fauna illustrations. In total, she bought a grand quantity of items for just eighty-nine yuan.

After leaving the antique market, Gu Wenfeng said with a laugh, “I was worried you would get ripped off!”

He had thought that a young lady like Lu Jiaxin wouldn’t haggle with vendors and would simply pay whatever they asked. He was ready to play the bad guy if necessary, but it turned out to be unnecessary. Well, he had to admit, he wasn’t as good at bargaining as Lu Jiaxin.

Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, “The antique market is full of stories about people striking it rich overnight by finding real antiques, but take those tales with a grain of salt. Only those with an exceptional eye for detail can pick out the genuine items from amidst the sea of fakes—it’s almost impossible for ordinary people to actually buy a real antique.”

Gu Wenfeng’s esteem for her rose another notch.

After their shopping was done, Gu Wenfeng dropped off Lu Jiaxin at home and then went out again. The next morning, he told her that Sun Xun had been caught gambling.

Gu Wenfeng said, “The gamblers were arrested and taken to the police station, and they all agreed that it was a set-up orchestrated by Sun Xun, so his crime is considered more serious.”

“How many years could he get?”

Gu Wenfeng answered, “His accomplices also disclosed that Sun Xun had repeatedly stolen from the factory to sell the items. With the two offenses combined, and with the current strict enforcement on criminal offenses, he’s looking at a minimum of ten years.”

Lu Jiaxin felt it was better the longer the sentence, thinking about her previous life when he had gotten himself killed over his ill-gotten wealth. With his character, it was doubtful that his three young children would have been well brought up. Even if they grew up, they’d likely be dragged down by that gambling-addict of a father.

After they finished discussing the affairs of Sun Xun’s family, Gu Wenfeng brought up the matter of hiring someone for home watch. He had found someone, an honest and dependable person: “He doesn’t want money, just hopes to move in with his two children.”

“Moving in with two kids? What about his wife?”

Gu Wenfeng sighed and said, “She passed away three years ago, and he injured his leg on a mission. He was assigned to work as a security guard at a school after retiring from the military, but due to a housing shortage, the three of them live in a small room of only seven or eight square meters, with cooking done outside.”

Lu Jiaxin naturally had no objections—the house was sitting empty anyway, and it would have both a human presence and protection from thieves: “That’s fine. But the main house and west wing can’t be used—Xue Mao and I may still come over from time to time. The three rooms in the east wing can be allotted to them.”

“I’ll have him come over after work.”

After nodding in agreement, Lu Jiaxin mentioned her trip to Peng City: “You don’t have much of your holiday left, so it’s best to go as soon as possible. How about leaving within three days?”

“I’ll go buy the ticket tomorrow morning.”

By evening, the person Gu Wenfeng had found arrived. His name was Jiang Lin, and though he was able to walk, he limped.

When he knocked on the door and saw Lu Jiaxin, Jiang Lin asked somewhat embarrassedly, “Hello, I’m Jiang Lin, you must be Miss Lu, right?”

Noticing his two children behind him, Lu Jiaxin smiled and responded, “Yes, I’m Lu Jiaxin, and you must be Uncle Jiang, right? Brother Gu has stepped out, and I’m home alone—let’s talk inside.”

Seeing the spacious yard, he said, “Miss Lu, I’d like to pay you five yuan rent each month.”

Lu Jiaxin thought he was truly an honest man, “No need, just help me take good care of the house and ensure no one sneaks in and steals anything.”

To avoid suspicion, she had displayed the paintings and porcelain she had purchased. Specifically asking Jiang Lin to watch the house was mainly to prevent the Sun Family from sneaking in and discovering the secret of the hidden passage.

Jiang Lin’s eldest son, upon hearing this, patted his chest and said, “Sister, rest assured, no matter who tries to sneak in and steal, I’ll break their legs.”

Lu Jiaxin trusted that Gu Wenfeng wouldn’t have recommended someone unsuitable, so she handed a key to Jiang Lin, “We’ll be leaving in a few days, and you can move in then.”

She wasn’t worried about the Jiang Lin father and sons taking over the house. If they behaved well, they could stay until she assigned someone else to the task; if they dared to harbor any ill intentions, she would deal with them and then expel them when the time came.