in2ebook Chapter 17 The portrait was hidden in a pile of horse manure
Chapter 17 The portrait was hidden in a pile of horse manure
"You want Xie Xingyun to marry Qingkong? Why?"
Jiang Zhulang couldn't see through Li Xi's intentions. "Let's not beat around the bush, Li Xi, you've spoken with Xie Xingyun, haven't you?"
Li Xi did not deny it, "We did talk about it before, but we've already broken up completely. Please rest assured, Mr. Jiang, Xie Xingyun and I are just casual acquaintances, nothing more."
Jiang Zhulang didn't care about any of that. He said, "How long has it been since you broke up with Xie Xingyun? Can you bear to see him marry the woman who ruined you?"
"How can you be so heartless?" Li Xi said. "I already have a new love, what does the old love matter?"
Jiang Zhulang looked at Li Xi with suspicion, as if trying to determine whether her words were true or false.
Li Xi pretended to explain, "To be honest, I also took a sum of money from the Xie family and promised my adoptive parents that I wouldn't cause any more trouble."
"The marriage alliance between the Xie and Jiang families is already common knowledge throughout the city. To suddenly announce the cancellation of the marriage alliance at this time would only give people reason to suspect something."
"The Xie family raised me for several years, which is a great kindness. And Miss Jiang's foolish actions are ultimately because she loves Xie Xingyun too much."
"Therefore, I hope that the marriage alliance between the Jiang family and the Xie family can be successfully established."
Jiang Zhulang agreed without much hesitation.
Jiang Qingkong seems to be pregnant; she vomited several times at home last night.
If the marriage alliance with the Xie family is canceled, Jiang Qingkong will have to have an abortion.
Premarital abortion is very common.
However, the Jiang family is not a small or insignificant family, and Jiang Qingkong will eventually get married. If her future husband's family finds out about this, they will be at a disadvantage.
Jiang Zhulang still preferred to establish this marriage alliance with the Xie family, thus sparing his daughter the pain of abortion.
"Okay, I can agree to both of these."
Jiang Zhulang asked Li Xi, "What is the third condition?"
“President Jiang’s first wife passed away many years ago and has not yet been buried…” Li Xi stared intently into Jiang Zhulang’s cunning eyes and said, “I want to take away Jiang Xinghe’s mother’s portrait and ashes!”
Jiang Zhulang's aura became violent.
His authority challenged, he looked furious and questioned Li Xi, "Is this a deal between Jiang Xinghe and you?"
"I suppose so," Li Xi asked calmly. "It seems President Jiang is unwilling?"
Li Xi stood up abruptly, picked up the bottled water on the table, and said, "Then I'll take my leave. See you in court."
Li Xi left without hesitation, decisively and without hesitation.
Jiang Zhulang stopped Li Xi: "I can give you the portrait, but not the ashes!"
Li Xi smiled and said, "We'll meet at the police station entrance at 10:00 AM tomorrow."
"President Jiang, please remember to bring everything. I will not sign the settlement agreement if anything is missing."
The death of Jiang Xinghe's mother is shrouded in mystery.
Legend has it that shortly after giving birth to Jiang Xinghe, she had an affair with another man and was caught in bed with him by Jiang Zhulang. Feeling ashamed, she hanged herself.
Jiang Zhulang felt it was a misfortune for his family, so he didn't even hold a funeral for his wife and sent her directly to the crematorium.
Therefore, Jiang Xinghe's mother did not even have a tombstone after she died.
Jiang Xinghe has grown up without ever having the chance to visit his mother's grave, and he has even lost her portrait.
Li Xi deliberately asked Jiang Zhulang for the ashes and portrait of his first wife because she knew that Jiang Zhulang would never agree to hand over the ashes.
So, as a second-best option, he would definitely agree to produce the portrait of the deceased.
*
The next day, at ten o'clock in the morning.
Jiang Xinghe accompanied Li Xi to the police station. He parked the car downstairs from the teahouse and sat in the car watching Li Xi cross the road and talk to Jiang Zhulang on the other side.
Upon seeing Jiang Zhulang, Jiang Xinghe's eyes darkened.
He heard from an elder that the Jiang family had experienced business setbacks in their early years, and his grandfather believed that it was because his mother was of poor character and that this had affected the Jiang family's feng shui.
So after his mother died, his grandfather invited a highly skilled master from Hong Kong to perform a ritual and set up an array, hiding his mother's ashes in the center of the array to reverse the feng shui of the Jiang family and provide them with a continuous stream of wealth.
It sounds absurd, doesn't it? But he couldn't find where his mother's ashes were hidden.
Therefore, Jiang Xinghe suspected that what his elders said was true.
Jiang Xinghe lit a cigarette, leaned back in his chair, and took a deep drag...
At the entrance of the police station, Jiang Zhulang stood with his wife, followed by a lawyer carrying a bag.
Upon seeing Li Xi, Jiang Zhulang took the bag from the lawyer's hand and handed it to Li Xi, saying, "The thirty million check and the portrait are inside."
"In addition, Qingkong and Xie Xingyun will go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get their marriage certificate tomorrow morning, and the wedding will be postponed."
Li Xi wasn't fooled. She said, "Then I can only agree to let Miss Jiang go on bail for now. I'll sign the papers after they get their marriage certificate."
Li Xi had to watch Jiang Qingkong and Xie Xingyun get their marriage certificate, effectively locking them up.
Jiang Qingkong is no pushover; she's someone who can cause trouble.
She drugged herself, indirectly causing Xie Xingyun's reputation to be almost ruined, and the Xie family's attitude towards her was no longer what it used to be.
Unfortunately, the upper class was watching the Xie and Jiang families closely, and in order to silence the rumors, the Xie family had no choice but to agree to the marriage.
In Zhang Xiang and Xie Mingzong's eyes, Xie Xingyun's marriage to Jiang Qingkong is like being forced to eat a pile of cow dung.
It won't kill you with poison, but it can make you feel sick to death.
After Jiang Qingkong marries into the Xie family, her in-laws will dislike her, and she has a princess complex. How could she tolerate it?
When that happens, the Xie family will be in chaos, and Xie Xingyun will be caught in the middle and won't have an easy time either.
The more ugly the fight between the two families became, the happier Li Xi was to watch the drama unfold.
Jiang Zhulang had been humiliated by Li Xi before, and knew that this little girl was not easy to deal with.
Therefore, upon hearing Li Xi's words, Jiang Zhulang, despite his reluctance, could only nod in agreement. "Then you can sign after we get the marriage certificate tomorrow."
Li Xi then took the bag.
She opened her bag and checked the checks first.
After confirming that there were no problems, they checked the portrait of the deceased.
The portrait was dusty and dirty, and even though the frame had been carefully wiped clean, there was still a lot of grime hidden in the crevices.
Li Xi lowered her head and sniffed, smelling a foul odor.
Seeing this, Jiang Zhulang and his wife both felt a little guilty.
Li Xi looked up at Mrs. Jiang, her eyes sharp and piercing. She said, "The photo frame smells bad, it smells like feces. Where exactly did Jiang Qingkong hide the portrait?"
Mrs. Jiang's real name is Song Yunzhi. She used to be the principal dancer of the Dongzhou City Song and Dance Troupe, but she retired after injuring her right foot.
Song Yunzhi opened an etiquette school, offering courses in ballet, Chinese dance, flower arranging, and painting, specifically to train young ladies to become socialites and marry wealthy men.
As the principal, Song Yunzhi's appearance and temperament must be perfect.
But at this moment, Mrs. Jiang, who is known for her elegant and noble temperament, couldn't help but roll her eyes upon hearing this.
She covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief in disgust and said in a low voice, "I'll just give you the portrait, you don't care where I put it!"
Knowing she wouldn't get an answer, Li Xi grabbed her bag, crossed the road, and got into Jiang Xinghe's car.
Li Xi handed the portrait directly to Jiang Xinghe.
She said, "Smell it, doesn't the portrait smell bad? I wonder where Jiang Qingkong has been hiding your mother's portrait all these years!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xinghe's eyes turned cold.
He picked up the portrait, brought it close to his nose, and then said in a chilling tone, "It was the horse farm! She hid my mother's portrait in the horse manure disposal pit!"
The Jiang family owns a horse farm, which Jiang Zhulang uses for social activities.
Li Xi was also taken aback when she heard this answer.
Looking at Jiang Xinghe's bloodshot eyes, which stubbornly refused to shed tears, Li Xi felt a pang of sympathy for the child.
His mother must be frantic with worry if she saw her child being bullied from heaven.