Chapter Seven

Dong Zhenghao stopped at the elevator lobby after seeing his sister-in-law off. Jiang Li, unusually, escorted her sister downstairs.

Only after they walked out of the hospital building did Jiang Li reluctantly thank Jiang Jia, "Earlier... it was all thanks to you."

Jiang Jia rolled her eyes at her and said impolitely, "You only bully those close to you. You can't even handle a little brat who dares to step all over you."

Jiang Li wanted to retort; she was just caught off guard.

"Alright, there's still plenty of time. You're a grown woman, are you afraid you can't deal with her?"

Jiang Li said, "She's Old Dong's biological daughter, after all. It's not good to go too far."

Jiang Jia glared at her and said, "Do I need to teach you this? Didn't you have plenty of tricks when you dealt with those little vixens around your brother-in-law before?"

Jiang Li wasn't truly helpless, she was just complaining.

She didn't want to continue this topic, so she changed the subject, "Didn't your Old Zhan not celebrate birthdays before? Why are you suddenly having a birthday party?"

Jiang Jia sneered, "What else could it be? His previous wife died two months ago, and his daughter from back home came to stay with him. He plans to give the child a proper introduction."

Jiang Li was a little surprised, "How old is the girl?"

"Twenty."

"What a coincidence, the same age as our daughter," Jiang Li sighed, half-jokingly. "It's better when they're younger. Once they get older, they're impossible to raise."

Jiang Jia glared at her, "Do you really plan to raise her if she's younger?"

Her sister was the most hypocritical. She said nice things, but who knew what she was really thinking.

When she married Old Zhan, there was still a son in the Zhan family. Her sister had mocked her behind her back for her poor judgment. Now they were in the same boat, neither better than the other.

The sisters chatted for a few more sentences, but their conversation didn't go anywhere, and they each went their separate ways.

Jiang Jia's energetic visit had cheered Jiang Li up considerably.

When she returned to the ward and saw Liu Mumu, she didn't feel as upset as before.

Getting worked up over a little brat made her seem petty. The best way to deal with this unsophisticated young girl was to let her see the world, to make her realize how insignificant she was!

Dong Qi only stayed in the hospital for two days before going home, with his leg in a cast. It was just a minor fracture, no surgery needed, just rest at home.

With her son alright, Jiang Li relaxed. She was no longer as irritable as before. Dong Zhenghao was relieved to see her return to normal and stop confronting Liu Mumu.

Women were troublesome. And to make matters worse, his household was currently "yin overpowering yang," no wonder so many bad things had been happening lately.

Around ten o'clock at night, Dong Zhenghao returned home reeking of alcohol. Jiang Li met him, her sharp gaze sweeping over him before taking his bag and keys.

"Why have you been coming home so late recently?" Jiang Li asked casually.

Dong Zhenghao changed into his slippers and walked towards the living room, saying, "Make me a bowl of noodles first. I was drinking all night and barely ate anything."

Jiang Li called upstairs, "Dong Yue, come down and cook for your dad."

A moment later, the door to Dong Yue's room opened. Dong Yue and Liu Mumu walked down together.

Seeing her daughter with Liu Mumu, Jiang Li frowned but ultimately pretended not to see anything and said nothing.

Dong Zhenghao lay half-reclined on the sofa and sighed after a while, "Old Qin is gone. The contract we agreed on hasn't been signed, and all our previous collaborations have stopped."

Jiang Li knew nothing about these matters, and Dong Zhenghao never involved her. She could only comfort him, "When Mrs. Qin finishes Old Qin's funeral, she'll be in the right state of mind to manage the company."

"What do you know?" Dong Zhenghao snorted. "That bastard Zhan Hongye has poached almost everyone from Old Qin's company and snatched all the orders he could. He's really quick. By the time Sister-in-law remembers the company, it'll be too late."

He cursed again at the end, "He's truly a scoundrel!"

Jiang Li's eyebrows twitched. The "bastard" Dong Zhenghao mentioned was her brother-in-law.

"Then... are we still going to Zhan Hongye's birthday banquet tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course, we're going."

Dong Zhenghao didn't think much of Zhan Hongye. When he was making money with Qin Kai, Zhan Hongye was still a nobody. Yet, this man had good luck and climbed up in just a few years. Now that Old Qin was gone, it gave him an opportunity.

They say fortunes change, but how did this river not drown him?

As they were talking, Liu Mumu came out with a bowl of noodles and placed it on the coffee table, then handed chopsticks to Dong Zhenghao.

Dong Zhenghao picked up the bowl and started eating. Liu Mumu sat down beside him and watched him.

Jiang Li had wanted to talk to Dong Zhenghao, but seeing Liu Mumu beside him, she lost the mood to chat.

She glanced at Liu Mumu and said, "We're going to a birthday banquet tomorrow. Do you have any suitable clothes, Mumu?"

Liu Mumu blinked, "...Probably not."

She really had no experience in this area.

"It's too late to order a custom dress now. Why don't you pick one from Xiao Yue's closet? You two are about the same size, you should be able to wear her clothes."

Liu Mumu looked at Dong Yue in the kitchen. Their figures couldn't be said to be identical; they were completely unrelated. Aunt Jiang was really forcing the comparison with her eyes closed.

Dong Zhenghao was slurping his noodles and didn't hear what they were saying.

Liu Mumu turned to Dong Zhenghao and said, "Dad, can you lend me a few hundred yuan? I'll go buy a dress tomorrow."

"Huh? Didn't Aunt Jiang buy you one?" Dong Zhenghao looked up.

Jiang Li gritted her teeth, cursing the tattletale in her mind. She said with difficulty, "It's too rushed to order a custom dress. I was thinking Mumu could wear Xiao Yue's clothes. Sisters shouldn't be so distant."

"Fine..."

"Some things are just different, like how I want to give five pounds of my flesh to Xiao Yue, but even if she wanted it, it wouldn't be possible."

Dong Zhenghao belatedly realized the two of them had started arguing again.

He impatiently waved his chopsticks. "Alright, stop talking. Tomorrow, Mumu can buy her own clothes. You can just wire her a few thousand yuan, and don't bother with custom orders."

Jiang Li shut her mouth, feeling wronged. Liu Mumu eagerly took out her phone and waved it at her. "Aunt Jiang, please add me as a friend so you can easily send me the money."

"No need to rush," Jiang Li gritted out, forcing the words out. "You won't be lacking that little bit of money."

With that, she got up and left.

Jiang Li was angered away. Dong Zhenghao gave Liu Mumu a warning glare. "Don't worry, you won't be lacking anything for food, clothing, or daily expenses at home. You don't need to act so pitiful."

Liu Mumu propped her chin in her hands. "Dad misunderstands me again. I was just stating facts. Aunt Jiang is too fragile. Dad hasn't been looking well lately. Do you want me to read your fortune?"

Dong Zhenghao was about to refuse, but hesitated as the words reached his lips. "Can you really read fortunes?"

Liu Mumu shrugged. "It's a family heirloom. I've been studying divination for over ten years."

Although most of the time her predictions were inaccurate, and occasionally the results would make her grandfather want to hit her, none of that mattered. Why be so demanding for a free fortune reading?

Dong Zhenghao put down his rice bowl. "Fine, then read mine."

Liu Mumu first looked at his palm as if she knew what she was doing, then tilted his head and studied his face for a while. Only when Dong Zhenghao started to get anxious did she slowly say, "Oh dear, it looks like Dad is going to have a financial setback this year."

Dong Zhenghao's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't he already experiencing financial setbacks lately?

His cooperation with Old Qin fell through, and he was definitely going to lose a large sum of money.

He sat up straighter. "Tell me more specifically. How much money will I lose?"

A million or so, he could still accept that.

"A few... hundred million?"

"What?" Dong Zhenghao almost fainted. "Am I going bankrupt?"

His entire net worth was only a few hundred million.

Unexpectedly, Liu Mumu was even more surprised than him. "Dad's entire fortune is only a few hundred million?"

Father and daughter looked at each other. Dong Zhenghao said, "You didn't know? Can't you figure that out?"

Liu Mumu gave an awkward chuckle. "I guessed that."

Their trust completely shattered. Dong Zhenghao felt like his brain was malfunctioning for believing Liu Mumu could actually read fortunes.

Seeing that her only guest was about to leave, Liu Mumu quickly tried to persuade him. "Dad, don't go. Let me read another divination for you."

Dong Zhenghao's steps to leave were unwavering.

Liu Mumu cast a divination for him and let out an "Oh dear" just as he was about to go upstairs.

Dong Zhenghao involuntarily stopped and turned to look at her.

Liu Mumu fiddled with the coins in her hand. "The divination isn't looking good. A disaster involving bloodshed."

Dong Zhenghao confirmed it again. This person at home was worse than those charlatans outside charging ten yuan a reading. Free things really were a trap.

The next day, because Dong Qi's leg injury prevented him from going, he threw a tantrum at home for a long time. His parents comforted him for a while and promised him several conditions before they finally took the two girls and drove to the Zhan Family.

Before getting out of the car, Jiang Li glanced at her daughter, Dong Yue, who was wearing a custom-made gown but was lost in the crowd, and then at Liu Mumu, who was wearing a less than thousand-yuan little dress but looked beautiful and lively. She felt even more disheartened.

She glared at the disappointing Dong Yue before getting out of the car.

Mysteriously glared at by her own mother, Dong Yue looked bewildered.

Zhan Hongye and Jiang Jia were welcoming guests at the entrance. Upon seeing Jiang Li and her husband, and the two girls following behind them, Jiang Jia quickly pulled her husband over to introduce them. "This is your brother-in-law's eldest daughter he just found. You were worried Xiao Ni wouldn't have any friends, right? This girl is the same age as Xiao Ni, so they can get to know each other."

Zhan Hongye, after a brief moment of surprise, quickly smiled at Liu Mumu. "I'll introduce you to my daughter later, and you can play together."

Liu Mumu was still in shock and hadn't recovered. She hadn't heard what they said at all.

Zhan Hongye might not recognize her, but she recognized him.

It was quite a coincidence. On the way here, she had been chatting with Dong Yue, saying she had a classmate named Zhan, and she never expected these two Zhans to be related.

This Mr. Zhan was none other than the father of her high school classmate, Zhan Ni.