Chapter 393: Chapter 393: When Did Things Change

"It’s not just the house." Wang Qianjin’s eyes were red, "You’ve kept so many things from me."

"So many things?" Elder Tong sarcastically, "Money matters?"

"You’re the one who’s greedy and never satisfied, yet you blame me for not giving you enough." Elder Tong sighed, "The thing I regret the most is adopting you back then. I should have let you starve to death. It was my own overestimation, my excess of sympathy."

"I admit that I was blind and you betrayed me, so you should face reality. Don’t come looking for me anymore."

"The way I am now, it’s because you pushed me to it." Wang Qianjin, emotional, no longer kneeling, stood up in front of Elder Tong, looking up at the taller man, eyes full of distress.

"I know you hate that I reported you. You’re doing great now, know a lot of people, who with a flick of their fingers or a word can strip me of my job. You must feel very pleased now."

"Yeah, seeing how you’re living so poorly now, I really do feel quite happy inside." Elder Tong raised an eyebrow and smiled, "But don’t get it wrong, the way you are now, I did nothing. I don’t have that kind of power. I’m just someone who does odd jobs, while you have an iron rice bowl, you’re a technician."

"Don’t always blame others for your problems. You were dismissed, you should find the reason within yourself. If I intended to do something to you, I would have done it long ago, no need to wait until now," Elder Tong said disdainfully.

"Haven’t you figured out my personality after decades together?" Elder Tong chuckled coldly, "Use your brain, I don’t speak with fools."

"Once unfaithful means never to be trusted again. Surely you understand that, especially since you’re in such a crucial financial position, aware of all the monetary dealings. If you can betray even me, it’s not unreasonable for the leaders at your plant to be concerned."

"Enough talking, it’s just wasting my breath. Ancheng, let’s go, time for lunch." Elder Tong turned his head to Xu Ancheng, but quickly looked away, focusing on the crowd in front where Yi Roujing stood with a little boy, smiling at him. The child, only reaching Yi Roujing’s thigh, looked just like Xu Ancheng, clearly father and son.

Wearing a white shirt, green pants, a green sweater vest, and small leather shoes, looking delicate and pale, Elder Tong was visibly delighted seeing him, quickly walking towards Yi Roujing, "Ancheng’s wife, this is your son Baozi, right? Oh my, he looks really nice."

Elder Tong crouched down and picked up Baozi, startling Yi Roujing since Elder Tong wasn’t young anymore.

"What are you worrying about?" Elder Tong immediately perceived Yi Roujing’s concerns.

"Great-grandfather," Baozi called out looking at Elder Tong.

"Yes, yes, Great-grandfather finally sees our Baozi. Come, hold Great-grandfather’s hand, let’s go have lunch." Elder Tong only held him briefly before putting him down and taking his hand, walking away with a smile. Yi Roujing hastily followed.

Wang Qianjin watched his foster father, all smiles, holding a child’s hand. Memories of those few years after Wang Chengze was born flashed unavoidably through his mind: his foster father was overjoyed then as well, hugging and kissing, even taking Chengze out to play. Life was harmonious and beautiful, so when did it start to change?

It seemed like his wife murmured complaints by his side about the foster father living so well alone, having such a big house while their smaller one wasn’t even transferred to them, indeed because he was adopted and not his real son. It seemed like his wife thought the foster father ate so well alone, while they as a big family could only see meat half a month.

Even the job at the Gomei Committee was spoken for by his wife, saying her family found a way through contacts...

Wang Qianjin lowered his head a bit confused, looking at his petite wife Jin Aqing beside him, who now gazed in the direction the foster father left, eyes full of hatred. Wang Qianjin was startled; since when had his wife become like this?

Xu Ancheng hadn’t left, instead watching Wang Qianjin, then turned to look at Jin Aqing.

"Do you know why Elder Tong didn’t transfer the house to you back then?" Xu Ancheng’s words were directed at Wang Qianjin, but he looked at Jin Aqing.

"It’s your wife, the way she and her family have behaved all these years, you still don’t see it?" Xu Ancheng glanced at Wang Qianjin, with a hint of pity in his eyes.

"Elder Tong investigated the Jin Family. They’ve been workers in a wealthy household for generations, with shallow vision and narrow minds, kicked out of the main family’s home for being dishonest and greedy and lazy."

"Elder Tong must have told you back then to reconsider, but you insisted on marrying, even threatened to die to force it, so Elder Tong agreed."

"However, the transfer papers that had been prepared were torn up, because Elder Tong wasn’t at ease, fearing you couldn’t hold onto it."

"After Wang Chengze was born and grew to eighteen, became an adult, Elder Tong had again considered transferring the house to you, thinking the child was grown, your mind should settle, and you’d start planning for him to marry. But it was too late; he was reported by you right then."

Wang Qianjin couldn’t believe it, his eyes widened, stepping back, his entire being shaky, "How, how can this be."

"It’s you who are not content, no one else to blame. Elder Tong has done his best for you. If there’s any shred of passion in you, don’t appear in front of him again. Don’t let him exhaust his final trace of kindness towards you. Elder Tong isn’t like you, he’s compassionate, otherwise, you wouldn’t have been doing so well after he was successful since he’s treated you with full dedication over the decades."

Xu Ancheng looked at Wang Qianjin, eyes deep, "Of course, if you remain as you are, even if Elder Tong can bear it, I’ll make sure you pay the price, even though the previous price may have been cleaned up by me, keeping you daring enough to come back."

"That’s all I have to say, handle your affairs wisely." Xu Ancheng left this last sentence, directly stepping past the Wang Family members and neighborhood friends to catch up with Yi Roujing and the others.

"Dad," Wang Chengze watched his devastated father, stammering, "Xu Ancheng is influential, back when he hadn’t even recognized the Xu Family, just as Ding Ancheng he was formidable, we, we better not cross him."

"What can he do, he’s unrelated to Elder Tong, Elder Tong’s matters aren’t for him to meddle in. We must seek the old man’s forgiveness, lest we suffer." Jin Aqing’s expression was harsh.

Listening to Jin Aqing’s words, Wang Qianjin recalled Xu Ancheng’s words, not thinking much before, but now, calling someone an old man while seeking benefits from them, was this the kind of person he’d lived with all these years?

"Mom, then we..."

The conversation between mother and son alarmed Wang Qianjin, discovering that his promisingly young son Wang Chengze followed Jin Aqing’s lead in everything. Reflecting on himself, then looking at his son, he realized things couldn’t continue like this.

"Jin Aqing, let’s get a divorce." Wang Qianjin resolutely said.