What if Ge Wenguan made another similar little mistake without realizing when he had done it? His old heart simply couldn’t withstand that kind of torment.
“Little Hu has a point.” Old Master Jiang summoned Butler Lin. “Go to the Procurement Department and have them promote another deputy manager, one specifically responsible for purchasing everything the main house needs.”
Butler Lin acknowledged the order. “Yes, sir.”
Someone was already assigned to handle the Old Master’s food and clothing.
This new position would be responsible for the daily necessities of the more than one hundred people living in the main house, as well as the Old Master’s medical care, entertainment, and leisure needs.
The portion being taken away accounted for at least a quarter of the entire estate’s procurement business!
When Ge Wenguan heard the news, he was so furious he nearly exploded.
His brother-in-law had said he wouldn’t pursue the matter, that he wouldn’t pursue it—and now he was turning around to strip Ge Wenguan of a substantial part of his livelihood?!
Still, Ge Wenguan had been an old hand who had worked the estate for years and had his own network of connections.
He quickly found out that the person behind it was the technician called Little Hu—the same one who had been leaning over his brother-in-law’s hospital bed yesterday!
Well, well!
Damn her!
Ge Wenguan ground his teeth in fury and went straight to find his sister.
Meanwhile, Qiuyun received word from the kitchen that Mr. Ge had gone to find Mrs. Ge. Wang Wei had happened to run into him while delivering afternoon tea!
She immediately relayed the news to Mr. and Mrs. Jiang and Miss Jiang, figuring that a major confrontation was about to erupt.
Jiang Chuling was practically clawing at the walls. “Ahhh! I really want to watch it happen in person!”
Granny Ge—the aloof, supposedly untouchable white lotus herself—was about to catch her husband in the act!
And this thrilling scene had been set up by them from beginning to end. It was impossible to imagine how spectacular it would be!
Jiang Yihua was also tempted by his daughter’s enthusiasm. “Ahem. How about we go wait in Old Master’s study before they arrive? That way, it won’t count as deliberately watching them make fools of themselves, right?”
Qiuyun shook her head. “No way. Mrs. Ge cares far too much about her reputation. If there are outsiders around, she’ll definitely hold herself back.”
Jiang Chuling was unwilling to give up. “Then what do we do? How about we do what we did with Fourth Uncle last time? I’ll sneak in and plant a recorder?”
“But, Miss, you already went there a few days ago because of the spilled massage oil. If you go too often, people will get suspicious.”
Jiang Yihua felt the same way.
He was an adult, unlike a child who had the right to act on a whim. According to their usual customs, unless something major happened—such as a sudden plunge in the stock price—he would never casually go to the Old Master’s study in the main house.
Without a suitable excuse, going there would be far too obvious.
What a shame. What a shame.
Suddenly, Jiang Chuling’s eyes lit up when she looked at Yu Xiang. She scampered over and began acting spoiled. “Mom, you can go! Today’s Sunday, the day we used to have our family banquets. You were dragged through the mud online so badly a few days ago. You can use that as an excuse to go apologize to Grandpa or something!”
Jiang Yihua was tempted as well. “That makes sense! Xiang’er, you’re the gentlest and most genuine person in our family. If you plant the recorder, no one would ever suspect you!”
Yu Xiang hesitated. “Uh…”
Jiang Chuling hurriedly wrapped her arms around her mother’s arm and wheedled, “Mommy, Mommy! You’re the best mother in the whole world! It’ll be so much fun if our whole family joins in. I’ll call Big Brother and my other brother and have them come back for this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle!”
It did seem like it had been a long time since the entire family had done anything together.
With a helpless sigh, Yu Xiang finally gave in. “All right. I’ll look for a chance to plant it, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll succeed.”
Jiang Chuling quickly encouraged her. “That’s okay! As long as you try your best, Mom!”
Meanwhile, Ge Wenguan stormed off to find his sister.
The main house was a magnificent structure, with seven floors above ground alone. Everything related to Mrs. Ge’s daily life was located on the second floor, meaning that she and the Old Master essentially lived separately under the same roof.
“Sis, you have to stand up for me!” Ge Wenguan wailed the moment he entered, startling Ge Furen so badly that she nearly dropped the fountain pen in her hand.
She rubbed her temples. “I can’t stand up for you. I already have a mountain of problems giving me a headache. Don’t come here and bother me.”
Ever since Jiang Yifeng had become paralyzed in both legs, not only had Jiang Yifeng fallen into a long period of despair, but she too had been devastated for a considerable length of time.
The fact that she could now force herself to manage the estate’s affairs had already taken nearly all her strength.
Ge Wenguan sat down across from his sister, his face tense with anxiety. “This isn’t just about me! It concerns your marriage too, Sis!”
Her marriage?
Ge Furen narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
Ge Wenguan recounted in a few hurried sentences what he had seen yesterday morning. Ge Furen’s expression immediately turned cold, but she quickly composed herself.
“The Old Master is eighty years old this year. Even if he wanted to, he may no longer have the strength for that.”
Ge Wenguan leaned forward anxiously. “If your husband were merely bored and looking for some little toy to amuse himself with, I wouldn’t bother you over it! But do you know what notice I received when I came to the estate this morning? From now on, I’m no longer in charge of any of the main house’s procurement!”
“You made a mistake in the first place. It’s perfectly normal for the Old Master to punish you.”
“Sis, yesterday your husband had no intention of punishing me! He only chewed me out and told me to get lost!” Ge Wenguan gritted his teeth. “Do you know how he changed his mind? Heh. I paid someone to obtain the information. It was that technician who persuaded him!”
Ge Furen frowned slightly.
Ge Wenguan continued, “If she were just some ordinary technician, I wouldn’t give her a second glance! But what kind of person is your husband? His word is absolute. Once he makes a decision, he never goes back on it! Have you ever seen him change his mind for anyone? That technician can already influence his decisions. Who knows what will happen in the future?”
That was true.
A faint chill entered Ge Furen’s expression.
All these years, even when she had given birth to the Old Master’s youngest son, she had never seen him stay home instead of going on a business trip simply because she asked him to.
And now that he was old, he suddenly knew how to spoil women?
Ge Wenguan slammed his fist onto the table. “And do you know what the key point is, Sis? That woman didn’t persuade your husband to change his decision at the time. She only made him turn against me the next day! Why? Because she only found out afterward that I, the Procurement Department manager, am your younger brother! She deliberately targeted our family! She’s trying to show you who’s boss, Sis!”
Those words struck right at the heart of Ge Furen’s resentment.
She prided herself on being the legitimate wife. She could tolerate the Old Master sneaking around with another woman, but she would never allow some ignorant, presumptuous nobody to challenge her authority as the lady of the estate!
In other words, the Old Master could slap her brother in the face for the sake of this woman and take away the piece of the pie that belonged to him.
But in the near future, would this woman incite him to slap Ge Furen in the face as well? To strip her of her authority?
That was absolutely intolerable!
Ten minutes later.
After changing her clothes, Ge Furen appeared outside the tea room adjoining Old Master Jiang’s study. She immediately saw Yu Xiang sitting on the sofa.
“Mrs. Ge.” Yu Xiang stood up to greet her.
Seeing that his wife’s expression was off, Old Master Jiang waved for his eldest daughter-in-law to leave. “Since the matter online has already passed, there’s no need to worry about it anymore. The Group’s Legal Department isn’t just for show.”
“Yes, Dad. Thank you. I’ll be going now.”
“All right. Go on.”
