Jiang Jinzhu froze, a stunned expression on his face. "What house? This little villa?"
Su Lang nodded. "That's right. The paperwork is already done, and this house is now under Chengzhou's name."
Jiang Jinzhu opened his mouth, taking a long time to find his voice.
"That... that is a good thing too." He looked up and said, "I can't afford to give him a house, but there's no reason to complain about having too much money. I'll give all my money to Chengzhou. As for a house... I'll think of a way too. At worst, I'll swallow my pride, move out of the compound, and beg the organization to assign me a small apartment."
Su Bingcheng and Xu Yueyun were so generous as maternal grandparents. Jiang Jinzhu kept saying how much he loved his grandson, so naturally, he couldn't fall too far behind.
Bai Mei pinched Jiang Yinzhu.
Jiang Jinzhu was simply getting senile.
Jiang Chengzhou already had such a huge house, yet Jiang Jinzhu still wanted to get him another one. Could he even live in all of them by himself?!
Jiang Yinzhu held onto his chair and stood up, reminding Jiang Jinzhu, "Dad, you have to think about Xiaobao too. He is also your grandson."
Jiang Jinzhu waved his hand impatiently. "Does your son lack a father and mother? Does he need me to take care of him? I'll give my money to whoever I want. Is it your place to speak?"
Jiang Yinzhu was choked into silence.
Bai Mei gritted her teeth, wanting to say something, but didn't dare.
This was the Su family; it wasn't her place to speak.
Besides, Su Lang's gaze always made her tremble with fear.
Just as the atmosphere in the living room was stiffening, footsteps suddenly sounded from outside the door.
Lin Zhilan opened the door and walked in, followed by two people.
One was Qian Changling, and the other was a man in his fifties wearing a dark gray Mao suit and glasses, with a serious expression.
"Mom, Dad, I'm back."
Lin Zhilan glanced at the situation in the living room and slightly raised her eyebrows. "This is...?"
Jiang Yinzhu patted his trousers and smiled. "You must be Xiao Lang's wife, right? I am Chengzhou's father. Thank you for taking care of Chengzhou all these years."
Lin Zhilan immediately understood who was in front of her and frowned slightly. "Su Lang, how could you just let anyone in? Aren't you afraid of making Mom angry?"
Jiang Jinzhu knew this young daughter-in-law was not to be trifled with, and hurriedly said, "Comrade Xu asked us to come over today to discuss Chengzhou's matters."
"What about Chengzhou? What is there to discuss with you?"
Lin Zhilan's face had already darkened.
These people were simply endless.
Lin Zhilan felt bad for the child. She had originally wanted to bring the child back to celebrate the New Year and have fun in the capital along the way.
But she hadn't expected the capital to be filled with so many monsters and demons.
No wonder the child didn't want to come back.
Jiang Jinzhu said, "Xiao Lang, this... help me say a word."
"Don't call out to me. Comrade Lin calls the shots in our family. I go wherever she points. If you want me to speak up for you, you've found the wrong person."
Jiang Jinzhu smiled bitterly, trying to win people over with reason.
"Xiao Lin, right? I came this time because I still want to take Chengzhou home. You are the child's aunt, and it's thanks to you that the child has been taken care of. The Jiang family will not treat you unfairly.
Taking care of a child is not easy; it takes money and effort. I heard you already have a daughter, and you will definitely have children with Xiao Lang in the future. Why bring trouble upon yourself?"
Even stepmothers don't want to raise children born from a previous marriage.
Let alone an aunt with no blood relation whatsoever?
Lin Zhilan sneered, "Chengzhou is a trouble in your eyes, but in mine, he is a treasure. I will absolutely not hand him over to you. You can give up on that idea!"
Jiang Jinzhu hadn't even opened his mouth yet.
Bai Mei finally couldn't hold back and interjected, "Female comrade, you couldn't be eyeing Chengzhou's house, could you?"
"And who are you?" Lin Zhilan looked at her.
When she raised her eyes, the corners tipped up slightly. Her pupils were rather dark. They were clearly extremely beautiful eyes, yet when she looked over, they carried not a trace of warmth.
It was as if she had already seen right through you, calculating clearly even what you were going to say next.
Being lightly glanced at by her, Bai Mei's back instantly tightened, and her heartbeat skipped a beat.
"I... I am Jiang Yinzhu's wife."
"Oh..." A mocking smile appeared on Lin Zhilan's face. "Raising a child is very troublesome. I heard you already have a child. You want to take Chengzhou back, you couldn't be eyeing Chengzhou's house, could you?"
Lin Zhilan packaged Jiang Jinzhu and Bai Mei's words together and threw them right back at them.
One never visits the temple without a cause.
Jiang Jinzhu wanting to take Chengzhou back was an ongoing thing. But Jiang Yinzhu and Bai Mei had hidden when they saw them at the bathhouse entrance last time. How could they genuinely want to take Chengzhou back?
The only difference between then and now was just this house.
Bai Mei dug her nails into her palms, trying hard to steady her voice. "No matter what, Yinzhu is the child's father. It is only right and proper for him to take the child back. You are just the child's aunt. Aren't you raising Jiang Chengzhou just for that bit of money and the house?"
Qian Changling, who was visiting, was treated to a huge piece of gossip.
At this moment, he couldn't help but speak up: "Female comrade, do you know who Doctor Lin is?"
"Who is she?" Bai Mei's voice trembled slightly.
Qian Changling chuckled and said, "Doctor Lin is the soul figure of the Island Pharmaceutical Factory, a senior technician with a monthly salary of one hundred and thirty-three yuan and fifty cents. Oh, right, Doctor Lin's military doctor title should also be promoted this year, shouldn't it? I reckon that will be over a hundred too."
Lin Zhilan smiled without saying a word.
Bai Mei's face had already turned pale.
One hundred and thirty-three yuan and fifty cents.
Plus the salary for the military doctor title, adding it all up, over two hundred a month?
She subconsciously looked at Jiang Yinzhu.
Jiang Yinzhu was a minor leader in the factory, with a monthly salary of forty-two yuan. Adding various subsidies, it barely amounted to much.
Bai Mei's own salary was bought with money by Jiang Yinzhu.
A monthly salary of twenty-one yuan.
The two of them combined didn't exceed eighty.
Yet this woman in front of her made more in a month than the two of them combined made in three months.
Bai Mei couldn't even feel the pain from her nails digging into her palms anymore.
It wasn't over yet.
Qian Changling stepped aside, revealing the man in the Mao suit behind him.
"This is Comrade Luo Hua, Deputy Director of the Military Control Commission of the Ministry of Health. This visit today is specifically for matters concerning Doctor Lin and the Island Pharmaceutical Factory."
Luo Hua took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over the people in the living room.
He first looked at Xu Yueyun, a smile appearing on his face. "Comrade Xu, long time no see."
"Luo Hua?" Xu Yueyun thought for a moment. "Are you that Xiao Luo?"
Luo Hua smiled and nodded. "It's me."
Xu Yueyun was considered Luo Hua's senior.
Before she retired, Luo Hua was just a secretary working alongside the leaders.
Who would have thought he had now become the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health.
Luo Hua then greeted Su Bingcheng and Jiang Jinzhu.
Su Bingcheng was fine, but the expression on Jiang Jinzhu's face was truly spectacular.
He was somewhat of a male chauvinist and believed in not airing dirty laundry in public.
Great. Today, he had completely lost face.
And Su Lang's wife was truly unexpected.
The Deputy Director of the Military Control Commission of the Ministry of Health—a true figure of substantial power.
