The Art of Teasing - Chapter 179

Chapter 179

All of Ye Ling's business holdings were her own dowry. Her assets and Wen Zhengyu's were handled strictly in accordance with marriage law — these were considered her pre-marital property, while only assets acquired after marriage would be jointly owned. The marital home and furnishings were already in place; they only needed to add festive touches like colorful silk decorations when the ceremony was held. The more tedious tasks like tailoring wedding attire and printing invitations fell to Wen Zhengyu to manage.

Once the marriage was settled, Wen Zhengyu began preparing to head home for the wedding.

She was uneasy about Wen Shishu, worried that the Kang family might stir up more trouble. Seizing the time she still had in the capital, she personally went to make inquiries about the situation with the Kangs.

She visited the home of Old Master Qin and told him and his wife everything about her second aunt.

The elderly Qins invited her to stay for dinner. When their son came home and the subject of Lao Kang came up, he casually offered a few words, very obliquely. His gist was that there was nothing murky in Lao Kang's financial accounts or the property registered in his name. Lao Kang refused to acknowledge any of the money Wen Shishu had transferred to him. His explanation was that at the time of their divorce, he had walked away with nothing; the two had verbally agreed that any future assets would be left to Kang Bai. But when Wen Shishu drafted her will and excluded Kang Bai as an heir, his two older sisters were indignant and stepped forward to argue. Neither sister had much education and couldn't grasp high-minded principles, so sometimes they inevitably resorted to throwing tantrums and making scenes. Wen Shishu, who had a fiery temper herself, ended up taking the matter to the Discipline Inspection Commission.

In truth, over the years all of Lao Kang's social and professional connections had been managed by Wen Shishu — everyone knew that. As a married couple of many years, it was nearly impossible to untangle whose connections belonged to whom. It was just like when the Ye Family Second Branch fell: both Kang father and son profited from it, but the actual violations of law and discipline were committed by members of the Ye Family Second Branch; the Kangs' role fell within the scope of normal administrative transfers.

Wen Zhengyu couldn't quite understand: if Lao Kang couldn't be brought down, why had her second aunt done all this?

She couldn't work it out, so she went straight to ask Wen Shishu.

Wen Shishu, upon hearing that Wen Zhengyu had gone to such lengths to investigate, couldn't help but smile. She told her, "Just clarifying matters officially, that's all."

Wen Zhengyu still didn't really understand.

Wen Shishu said, "That money will eventually end up in Kang Bai's hands. Whatever belongs to them, father and son, naturally should go to them. I wanted to spell everything out first so no one can exploit it later. At the same time, I'm letting everyone know that I've completely broken with the Kang family and severed all ties." She added slowly, "Some people, having known poverty too keenly, value money more than life itself."

Wen Zhengyu listened silently.

Wen Shishu gently stroked Wen Zhengyu's back and said softly, "From the moment Bai'er was born, his grandmother raised him by her side, constantly feeding him the idea of how terrible his mother was. Those two aunts of his were always gossiping in his ear, and his cousins surrounded him with flattery and indulgence. His grandmother, his aunts, and I — I can't tell you how many times we fought, and he saw it all. As for who's right and who's wrong, who's close and who's distant — that's for him to judge."

She sighed lightly and continued, "But Xiaoyu, the human heart is made of flesh. Whether someone treats you well or not — it's impossible not to feel it. With the Kang family the way they are, how could I not plan for myself? How could I possibly hand everything over to them? Lao Kang's sisters see nothing but money. They think everything can be settled with cash, that if they just lay their hands on the money I've earned, everything I have will become theirs."

"All these years, Bai'er's career has gone smoothly. I covered his daily expenses; he's never lacked for anything. But when I wrote my will, he felt I was giving his money away to you all and resented it. He felt that in my eyes, my nieces were closer than my own son."

"He never stopped to think — he's my son, yet when I was being bullied, when Grandfather passed away, he sided with others. When his grandmother came to pick fights with me, he defended her."

Wen Shishu heaved another heavy sigh and said, "All those years ago, my dowry was used to plug the holes in the Kang family's finances. Everything I've earned all these years in business is right here." And yet, in the end, this was how things turned out.

Wen Zhengyu knew that her second aunt was truly hurting now; that was the only reason she'd open up so much. She also understood the deeper meaning in Wen Shishu's words. What the Kang family was fighting over was, at bottom, money. But the reason the Kang family had what it had today, the reason her second aunt had been able to earn this fortune, lay in the relationships built and the principles upheld through one generation after another of their family. When Wen Shishu needed to liquidate her assets, she'd asked Qi Wei to help. Qi Wei made money, and her second aunt saved herself a great deal of trouble — a mutually satisfying outcome. On the surface, it looked like Qi Wei had earned it easily, but if Wen Shishu didn't trust Qi Wei, she never would have dared introduce her to Wen Zhengyu. Only when you know someone's roots and background, know they are a person of integrity, would you dare cooperate, dare maintain a long-term relationship — making money together when the opportunity arises, lending a hand as much as possible when difficulties come. Kang Bai screwed over his own mother. Even if he tried to give her money for free, she wouldn't dare accept it, afraid of owing him a favor and getting cheated. The best outcome was simply to have no dealings with him at all.

Wen Zhengyu said to Wen Shishu, "Come home with me. I'm short of people to help with arranging this wedding."

Wen Shishu agreed gladly. She asked Wen Zhengyu to find out when Ye Ling would have time; before she headed back to the old hometown, she wanted to gather with her circle of friends and sisters. If Ye Ling could come, she was to join them.

When Ye Ling heard that Wen Shishu wanted to introduce her to people, she instantly made time — no matter how busy she was, she'd find availability. In business, broadening your network can never hurt. As for the matter with Kang Bai, she'd heard it from Wen Zhengyu and merely cursed inwardly: Idiot!

Although Wen Shishu outwardly came across as sharp and fiery, deep down she still had that steady, warm solidity characteristic of the Wen family. Her business operations were stable, and the people she associated with were generally grounded and reliable. Those who had become friends and stayed the course weren't the speculative, opportunistic types who pounced when there was profit and withdrew at the first sign of trouble. On this point, aunt and niece — Wen Shishu and Wen Zhengyu — were very much alike.

Wen Shishu first took Ye Ling and Wen Zhengyu around to meet a circle of people. After that, she plowed the proceeds from selling off her assets into building Hope Schools in remote mountain areas. She donated the greater part of her fortune, keeping only a modest sum for her own retirement. Because it was philanthropic work, it even made the news.

The apartment she lived in, she kept rather than sell, so she'd have a place to stay whenever she came to the capital. But she covered all the furniture and temporarily moved in with Wen Zhengyu.

After she donated the money, her daughter-in-law, who had previously been a very frequent visitor, no longer came calling with the granddaughter.

Her relationship with her granddaughter, however, remained quite close. Before she left, she still wanted to see the child. It happened that Wen Zhengyu was free, so she went with her to pick the little one up from school.

The moment the child spotted Wen Shishu, she sprinted the whole way and threw herself into her arms, shouting "Grandma, Grandma!" She clung to Wen Shishu and fussed for quite a while before noticing Wen Zhengyu, and then called out, "Cousin-Aunt."

The child's mother was still a bit resentful that Wen Shishu would rather donate the money than leave it to Kang Bai, but Wen Shishu had always treated her decently. Seeing Wen Shishu, she felt a little embarrassed, and greeted: "Mom." Kang Bai's two aunts and their cousins had kicked up a huge fuss. Wen Shishu transferred that money to Lao Kang, but privately she still gave her daughter-in-law a sum, saying it was child support for the granddaughter. When Wen Shishu took the matter to the Discipline Inspection Commission, the money ultimately did end up with Kang Bai — but right after, his cousins and aunts came knocking to borrow money, the kind of arrangement with formal IOUs and annual interest. The daughter-in-law was genuinely worried about lending it out and never getting it back. Kang Bai, however, felt that his aunts and cousins were good to him and wouldn't harm him, that this was simply a matter of sharing wealth when you have it and helping each other in tough times.

This left the daughter-in-law feeling deeply wronged, and when she saw Wen Shishu, it inevitably spilled out.

Wen Shishu wasn't the sort to take off with the granddaughter and leave the daughter-in-law behind. She happily held the little girl's hand and took them both out to eat.

During the meal, the daughter-in-law couldn't help but pour out her grievances about the Kang family to Wen Shishu, crying and complaining.

Wen Shishu was quite detached about Kang family affairs, but faced with her daughter-in-law she nonetheless gave careful instructions: "Lao Kang and Kang Bai won't last long. I've also given up on Kang Bai entirely. From now on, even if he were dying before my eyes, I wouldn't lift a finger to save him. The child hasn't been warped yet; you teach her well. Raising the child properly is better than anything else. You are the child's own mother; you need to keep a clear head. The money I gave you is for raising the child, a gift from me to you and your child. No one else is entitled to lay a finger on it. Keep it safe. In the future, you mother and daughter may well have to rely on that to live. No matter who comes, don't give it away."

"I'm leaving my car for the child's use and keeping a bodyguard for her. The bodyguard's salary comes from me — you don't need to worry about it."

"You absolutely must teach the child well."

Hearing this, the daughter-in-law felt both anxious and touched. Her mother-in-law truly treated her daughter with genuine care; at the same time, she understood that this mother-in-law of hers was a capable woman of great insight. With Kang Bai the way he was now, even just watching from the sidelines made her nervous on his behalf. She said, "Mom, you really are the best."

Wen Shishu took the daughter-in-law's remark with a grain of salt. Everything she was doing was for her granddaughter. If the granddaughter got tangled up with that Kang clan, nothing good would come of it. Her daughter-in-law might be a bit snobbish, a bit of a fair-weather type, but at least she could tell right from wrong. The child was better off with her than with Kang Bai.

Wen Zhengyu kept the little girl company during the meal, helping her with dishes. She stayed out of the matters between her second aunt and cousin-in-law.

The child already understood a little about adult affairs. When the grown-ups talked, she perked her ears to listen. After a while, she began exchanging confidences with her cousin-aunt.

The little girl adored her cousin-aunt and was happy to share many of her little secrets with Wen Zhengyu. Her grand-aunt had told her that her grandmother was a bad person, giving money away to charity instead of to her. She said, "Later I asked Mom. She said it went to help children who can't go to school. I have school, lots of toys, and a car. Some kids can't go to school, or have to walk really far in really cold weather just to get there, so cold they get frostbite. They have difficulties, and Grandma is helping them — it's a meaningful, good thing." She also told Wen Zhengyu she had her own little savings stash: all the money Grandma gave her and the allowance from Mom, she had tucked away.

Wen Zhengyu continued stroking the child's head and understood why her second aunt had made a point of coming here. The child was innocent, and so very well-behaved. She must be properly protected.

As for Kang Bai and Lao Kang, once her second aunt had made her move, which reputable family would dare entangle themselves with the Kangs? Back when Ye Ling stormed the mourning hall and aired the Ye family's dirty laundry in public, how many families cut ties with the Ye Family Second Branch? And when the Second Branch fell, it was a case of a collapsing wall being pushed by everyone — no one lifted a finger to help. They collapsed overnight. The Kangs were even worse than the Ye Family Second Branch. These two Kangs involved a biological son screwing over his own mother to subsidize his paternal aunts and cousins. Lao Kang presented a facade of incorruptible integrity while behind the scenes he was vicious and venomous; for a scrap of benefit, he'd sold out his wife and her entire natal family. Their character was poor — people might not comment much, but when people of poor character suddenly find themselves holding a fortune and start throwing their weight around, aren't they just a plump pig already marked for slaughter?

Even people as combative as Ye Ling and Lian Xin never dared flaunt the size of their wealth. They had always upheld the principle of doing things prominently but behaving modestly. The posture they maintained was that they were merely the frontmen managing the businesses and getting things done; a large share of the earnings belonged to others. Behind their ventures stood a host of shareholders.

What Kang Bai held was entirely cash that the Kang family had snatched from her second aunt. The dowry from those early years and the assets accumulated over a lifetime of hard work had all been liquidated and split in two: half donated, half in Kang Bai's hands. As for exactly how much cash Kang Bai now had, one only needed to look at the news of her second aunt's donation to figure it out.

After they finished eating, Wen Shishu transferred her car and bodyguard to the daughter-in-law and sent them on their way. She rode in Wen Zhengyu's car back to the Lian family residence. When they reached the main gate, they saw Lao Kang's car parked outside.

Wen Zhengyu and Wen Shishu went into the living room, where Uncle You came to tell them that Lao Kang wanted to see them both and was waiting outside.

The affairs of Lao Kang had become common knowledge; Uncle You hadn't even let him through the door.

Wen Zhengyu knew exactly why Lao Kang had come. He had been set up as a target and now wanted to find someone to shield him from the fallout. She ignored him entirely.

Ye Ling arrived only a few minutes after Wen Zhengyu. When she saw Lao Kang's car parked outside, she immediately ordered her driver to stop, marched up, and knocked on his window.

Spotting Ye Ling, Lao Kang put on an amiable face, looking every bit like one big happy family with her. He moved to open the door and get out.

Ye Ling held the door shut, stopping him. Smiling brightly, she said, "Former Uncle-in-law, in my life I've never conceded anything to anyone, but to your thick skin I bow." She noticed someone else sitting in the back seat, leaned in to look, and saw Kang Bai with a sullen expression. She said to him, "Former cousin, a few words for you. Borrowing money is easy, repaying it is hard. Inviting gods is easy, sending them off is anything but. An aunt, no matter how close, has her own son to look after. A mother, no matter how awful, sits on a chair and carries money in her pockets that she earned through her own bitter toil." She added another jab: "Have the decency to know when to step back. Don't let people keep whispering behind my back that my second aunt gave birth to an afterbirth. Your skin may be thick, but I still need my own face." After she finished, she didn't return to her own car but strode straight through the gates.

Wen Shishu had taken her around to meet the right people, and as a result, several new profitable projects had landed in her lap. Wen Shishu had dispersed her ready cash, but she had ability, solid family connections, and a good way of dealing with people; others were happy to cooperate with her. With Wen Shishu's money gone, it was Ye Ling who could bring in the projects, and business began rolling again. By collaborating with Wen Shishu and having the Qi Wei connection, she could open up business prospects in the capital without having to go through her brother's channels and invite that trouble.

Ye Ling felt she had married a money tree. Give it a shake, and money poured jingling into her pocket.

The money tree was a bit unhappy, though — feeling wronged on her second aunt's behalf and distressed for her, she also told Ye Ling all about the Kang family situation.

The money tree's idea was simply to treat her second aunt better. As long as her second aunt was willing, she'd provide for her in old age, and even worried that the retirement savings her second aunt had set aside might not be enough. Directly giving her money, of course, would never be accepted, so she thought about lending her second aunt capital so she could do some investing or small business ventures to earn some retirement income she could hold in hand, giving her peace of mind.

Ye Ling promptly grabbed the money tree's arm and cried, "Look at me, look at me."

Wen Zhengyu looked at Ye Ling in confusion, not understanding what she was up to.

Ye Ling said, "Pre-marital assets: whatever I earn is still mine. If you put money into Second Aunt's ventures, you're poaching my business. I've already mapped out the general direction for the projects."

Wen Zhengyu blinked, then it dawned on her. She gave an "Oh" of understanding and felt relieved.

Ye Ling's eyes instantly crinkled with delight. Smugly, she said, "I knew you'd give me your whole heart and treat me best — even the profitable business deals you let me have."

At that moment, Wen Zhengyu had a strong urge to peel a couple of layers off Ye Ling's face to see if it could be thinned out just a tiny bit.

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