Jiang Chan spoke unhurriedly, “I am sixty seven this year. Children have a duty to support their elders. All these years, I have not received a single cent from you. Shouldn’t you also pay me all the unpaid support fees from the past in one lump sum?”
After itemizing the accounts one by one, Zhou Dayou’s family was completely bewildered. Zhou Fugui steadied himself and forced himself to speak. “I also consulted a lawyer. If you divorce my dad, the property you built up belongs to marital joint property. You should give half of it to my dad.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the Zhou family’s eyes all lit up. Lawyer He pulled out a mocking smile. “I think you’ve misunderstood something. Zhou Dayou has long committed domestic violence against my client, Ms. Jiang Chan. We have clear evidence proving that he is the party at fault in the marriage. Since he is the at fault party, Zhou Dayou must compensate Ms. Jiang Chan for damages.”
Once this was said, the Zhou family was completely silenced. Not only could they not get joint property, they would also have to pay compensation.
Lawyer He remained calm. “President Jiang, I think the compensation we proposed earlier was far too lenient.”
Wang Mei ignored everything else. “Then what about my Xiao Hua? How is Xiao Hua now?”
Jiang Chan replied, “Xiao Hua is doing very well. Let me remind you that Xiao Hua turned eighteen last month. Even if you wanted to scheme something now, it’s no longer possible.”
Seeing that negotiations had completely broken down, Director Li started ushering Zhou Dayou’s family out. Seeing Zhou Fugui lagging behind, Jiang Chan suddenly spoke. “Business hasn’t been going very well these past few days, has it?”
Zhou Fugui abruptly turned his head. Jiang Chan sat on the sofa, her lips curling slightly. In Zhou Fugui’s eyes, she looked like a ferocious beast choosing its prey.
“I’ve only given you a small lesson. If you still refuse to stop, I can’t guarantee what will happen next.”
Zhou Fugui stumbled. After giving Jiang Chan one last look, he followed the others out. He knew that if he did not persuade them, things would only get worse.
The Zhou family’s commotion caused no real ripples for Jiang Chan. She continued doing whatever she needed to do. Facts proved that once officials intervened and combined with Jiang Chan’s pressure on Zhou Fugui, Zhou Dayou agreed to divorce in less than three days.
Because the original owner and Zhou Dayou were in a de facto marriage, before obtaining a divorce certificate, Jiang Chan and Zhou Dayou still needed to first obtain a marriage certificate. Jiang Chan would not even show her face. Asking her to register a marriage with Zhou Dayou was nothing but wishful thinking.
This request was naturally accommodated. The wedding photo was photoshopped. First obtaining the marriage certificate and then using it to get the divorce certificate was done in one smooth step.
When Jiang Chan saw the small green booklet Lawyer He handed her, she took a long breath. The second wish left behind by the original owner was finally fulfilled. It had taken more than ten years, deliberately delayed until Xiao Hua came of age, but it was finally done.
If Xiao Hua had not yet reached adulthood, this lawsuit would have dragged on much longer.
Although the divorce certificate was in hand, Jiang Chan still honored what she had promised. She already had plans to expand her business. Investing in the provincial capital also had its benefits, especially with the generous preferential policies.
For the next month, Jiang Chan settled down in the province, scouting locations to invest and build factories. Lawyers were naturally involved in this process, so Jiang Chan simply extended Lawyer He’s employment.
During this period, besides handling investments, Jiang Chan also met old friends from the past, such as Liu Yuan and Doctor Liu. If not for Doctor Liu’s help back then, Jiang Chan would never have met Liu Yuan, nor would she have earned her first pot of gold.
So many years had passed that Liu Yuan’s temples were now streaked with white. He and Jiang Chan were old friends, close in age. When they met, it was simply in a teahouse, drinking tea and chatting.
“So where are you planning to invest and build this time?”
“I’ve looked at several places. They seem pretty good. Are you interested too?”
Liu Yuan had gradually stepped back. Most factory matters were now handled by his son. Today, he had deliberately brought his son along to meet Jiang Chan, since Jiang Chan was truly capable.
Liu Yuan’s son appeared humble, around forty years old. Jiang Chan had interacted with him before. He was more than capable of maintaining stability but lacked initiative. Still, he was sufficient to keep Xinxin Food Factory running.
“I’m already old. Any ambition has long faded. Now I just drink tea at home and focus on health. I’m just asking out of curiosity.” Liu Yuan laughed heartily. He and Jiang Chan were very familiar, so his tone was casual.
“That’s nice. You can hand everything over to Xiao Shan. Unlike me, I don’t know when Wuyou will be able to take over. She studied biopharmaceuticals. She’ll graduate in less than a year. I think she’s destined to stay in laboratories.”
“So what do you plan to do with your business?” Liu Yuan vaguely knew Jiang Chan’s wealth. Although Xinxin Food Factory was already worth a lot, what Jiang Chan revealed was likely only the tip of the iceberg.
“I’ll manage it myself for now. When Xiao Hua gets married, I’ll focus on cultivating the younger generation. Or if Xiao Hua finds someone skilled in business on her own, that works too. Otherwise, there are always professional managers.”
Jiang Chan spoke with ease. Money was important, but it was not everything.
Liu Yuan gave her a thumbs up. “You really know how to let go.”
Jiang Chan finally selected a plot of land in the province. Next came various procedures, which required someone stationed locally. She grew impatient staying there. Just thinking about Zhou Dayou’s family made her want to leave as soon as possible.
Her chief assistant from the capital headquarters was pulled in as reinforcement and directly assigned here as the branch’s general manager. Simply put, he became the person in charge.
Jiang Chan then packed up and returned to the capital with Lawyer He. Xiao Hua must have missed her. In truth, Jiang Chan also missed Xiao Hua very much. Feelings were built through time together. While Xiao Hua depended on Jiang Chan, Jiang Chan had also invested a great deal of emotional energy in Xiao Hua.
However, the scene Jiang Chan imagined of Xiao Hua missing her did not appear. Seeing that the house looked mostly unoccupied, Jiang Chan guessed Xiao Hua was probably holed up in the laboratory again.
Jiang Chan had visited Xiao Hua’s university several times, but this was her first time at the laboratory. When she saw Xiao Hua outside the lab with dark circles under her eyes, she was shocked.
Xiao Hua’s expression was serious, fully focused on the test tube in her hand. Jiang Chan watched from outside for as long as Xiao Hua conducted experiments. Lawyer He, who had followed Jiang Chan, narrowed his eyes at Xiao Hua inside the lab, a glimmer flashing through his gaze.
Watching the bright young girl operate the experimental equipment with smooth precision, Jiang Chan felt immense pride. Her child had truly grown up. Being able to see Xiao Hua reach this point filled Jiang Chan with boundless joy.
Discover more from Lilly Translations
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.