She continued, “We already know what happened. This isn’t Jiang Luo’s fault. I’m returning the money for him not because we think he did anything wrong—he didn’t.”
“How much money?”
Just as Zhang Xiangping was about to answer, Jiang Jianmin, who had been standing in the nearby hallway, suddenly shouted, “Your precious son didn’t just steal money! He hit me too! I raised him for eighteen years! Eighteen years! And this is how he treats me! Heartless little bastard! If you want compensation, include my medical bills! A thousand! Give me a thousand!”
Zhao Shuo froze mid-motion with the money in his hand. Su Lan and Zhao Guangyuan instinctively glanced at Bai Ting.
They had long since stopped trusting Jiang Jianmin and Zhang Xiangping and didn’t believe a word of his accusations.
Naturally, Bai Ting sided with Jiang Luo. She flared up, shouting, “Hit you? Shouldn’t he? You smashed the truck and tried to steal the money, and now you won’t even admit it! And besides, how often did you hit Jiang Luo when he was little? Every time something went wrong, you’d whip him! The kid would scream—everyone upstairs and downstairs could hear!”
“Now you realize you can’t hit him? Why didn’t you speak up when you were hitting him?”
Zhang Xiangping yelled back, “That’s different! We were disciplining him!”
Jiang Jianmin’s neck stiffened. “I’m his father! He eats my food, uses my things, spends my money! What’s wrong with me hitting him a few times?!”
Su Lan was stunned—she hadn’t expected Jiang Jianmin and Zhang Xiangping to hit Jiang Luo. Her eyes instantly welled with tears.
“You people!”
She stepped forward. “A child being switched at birth—no one wants that. But look at how we raised Mingming, and how you raised Jiang Luo! How could you hit Jiang Luo? He’s only eighteen! How could you do this?!”
Zhao Guangyuan quickly held Su Lan, signaling to Zhao Shuo, “Give them a thousand.”
Bai Ting shouted, “Don’t!”
Zhao Guangyuan, face stern, said to Jiang Jianmin and Zhang Xiangping, “I’ll give you a thousand, the money is yours. But from now on, you’re never to touch Jiang Luo’s belongings again—nothing! Ever! After today, you don’t need to contact us again. Jiang Luo is our Zhao family son, we’ll handle him ourselves. As for Mingming, he’s your son, handle him yourselves. If he wants to come back, fine; if not, he’s still our Zhao family son.”
Zhao Shuo efficiently took out a thousand yuan from his wallet. He was about to hand it to Zhang Xiangping, but seeing Jiang Jianmin reach for it, he twisted his wrist and tossed the money on the ground.
Jiang Jianmin, poor but proud, glared, “What do you mean? Pick it up!”
Zhao Shuo shoved his wallet back into his pocket, coldly saying, “Do you think Zhao family money is that easy to take? I’ll say it again—the money is for you not because Jiang Luo did anything wrong, but because we don’t want to waste time arguing with you. This thousand buys out your relationship with Jiang Luo. From now on, Jiang Luo has nothing to do with you, and our family has nothing to do with you!”
Jiang Jianmin, still screaming, pointed at the money.
Zhang Xiangping glared at Bai Ting. “It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t meddled, none of this would have happened!”
Bai Ting shot back, “You did this to yourselves, and now you blame me?!”
Su Lan frowned, muttering, “What kind of karma brought me into this mess with your whole family over a switched child?”
Meanwhile, Jiang Luo and Wang Chuang, having finished eating at Huating, were driving the truck back and happened to witness the scene.
Wang Chuang jumped out and ran upstairs. “Mom! Mom!”
He immediately positioned himself in front of Bai Ting, protecting her. Chest out, he faced Zhang Xiangping, who was yelling with hands on her hips. “What are you shouting about? Tell me! Come on, tell me!”
Jiang Luo, having locked the truck after getting out, held the wallet with the money casually in his hand. He walked slowly, leisurely, unbothered, peeling a lollipop and popping it into his mouth, leaving the shouting behind as mere background noise.
He hummed in Cantonese as he walked, lollipop in mouth:
“By your side, the road is long, yet I am not tired, walking alongside you, step by step…”
“Jiang Luo!”
By the time Zhao Shuo and the others noticed him and ran downstairs, he was already gone.
Su Lan, heartbroken, whispered, “Jiang Luo…”
Not long after, when they got home and saw Zhao Mingshi returning from school, Su Lan, still upset, went straight upstairs holding a doll.
“Mom…” Zhao Mingshi said, surprised.
“Dad.”
Zhao Mingshi looked toward Zhao Guangyuan again.
Because of the events of the night, Zhao Guangyuan wasn’t in a good mood either. He had no energy to talk and, walking outside, lit a cigarette to get some air in the courtyard.
“Brother.”
Zhao Mingshi could only turn to Zhao Shuo.
Zhao Shuo, equally upset by Zhang Xiangping and Jiang Jianmin, was in a sour mood as well. He waved a hand as he went upstairs, saying nothing except, “Go to bed early.”
Zhao Mingshi: “…”
Was it because of Jiang Luo?
In his heart, Zhao Mingshi felt frustrated and resentful: why was he, the son of two silk mill workers, being treated differently, while Jiang Luo, the biological child of his parents, got such recognition? Why?!
He absolutely, absolutely would not, and could not, be forced out of the Zhao family.
The Zhao family was his home; Zhao Guangyuan and Su Lan were his real parents!
Everything he had already earned, no one would take from him!
The next morning at breakfast, seeing Su Lan, Zhao Guangyuan, and Zhao Shuo acting as usual, Zhao Mingshi mentioned that he had received this semester’s scholarship.
“Really?”
Su Lan smiled. “Our Mingming is amazing.”
Zhao Mingshi was about to respond when Zhao Guangyuan said, “Jiang Luo isn’t doing badly either. So young, already running a business, probably making a good amount.”
Zhao Mingshi froze. The words he had wanted to say vanished, and when he looked up at the table, Su Lan and the others were already talking about Jiang Luo.
Zhao Shuo said, “Brains are innate. Even Aunt Bai at the silk mill said Jiang Luo was smart from a young age.”
Su Lan, feeling relieved, said, “He’s doing something legitimate; that makes me somewhat at ease.”
Zhao Guangyuan added, “The kid still has some resentment against us. We need to find a chance to talk to him.”
Su Lan replied, “Take it slow. Kids get mad at their parents.” She added, “Remember to ask about the truck for Jiang Luo.”
“I saw his truck yesterday—it’s been driven a long time, looks beat-up. Don’t let him drive it again; something could happen.”
Zhao Guangyuan: “Mm, I haven’t forgotten. I’ll ask someone today.”
Zhao Shuo chuckled. “I wonder where he even got the stock. Who thinks of selling those kinds of dolls?”
“With him selling like this, Pacific Department Store won’t have any business left.”
Listening to them talk about Jiang Luo, Zhao Mingshi couldn’t join the conversation. Inside, he felt lonely and anxious.
He knew it was only a matter of time before Jiang Luo came back. But why did his parents seem to approve of Jiang Luo so much now? Weren’t they the ones who had previously disapproved because he didn’t go to school or work and spent all day at the arcade?
In his mind, Zhao Mingshi thought: a delinquent is a delinquent. Even if he’s their biological son, a delinquent is still a delinquent.
Just wait.
Zhao Mingshi: I won’t let a delinquent take everything from me! Not even a biological son!
When the new batch of dolls arrived at Haicheng Railway Station, not only were the district stores restocked, but the counter at Yong’an Department Store also received a batch of similar dolls.
They were only similar, though. The dolls at Yong’an came in their own packaging boxes, with small dresses to change, a tiny comb for their hair, and a delicate-looking necklace.
Once these dolls hit the shelves, Yong’an priced them at 68 yuan.
They sold like crazy almost immediately.
So lately, Jiang Luo and Wang Chuang spent their days doing two things: delivering goods and counting money.
Counting had Wang Chuang’s hands sore, yet he was so inspired he composed a song on the spot:
“We’re so awesome~ so awesome~
So much money~ all money~ money money money~
Getting rich~ getting rich~”
Across Haicheng, including the dolls sold at Yong’an, Jiang Luo recorded every single sale. About six thousand dolls had been sold.
At an average profit of eight yuan per doll, that totaled 48,000 yuan.
After deducting costs like truck rental, repairs, fuel, and daily expenses, they had 40,000 yuan left.
Jiang Luo and Wang Chuang split it evenly.
When Wang Chuang got his 20,000 yuan, he sat in the passenger seat, doting on the leather envelope full of cash.
“You silly thing,” Jiang Luo teased.
At that moment, Jiang Luo received a call from Boss Li, the man in Wencheng who had previously made European-style lamps for him.
On the other end, Boss Li spoke warmly, addressing him as “Young Master Jiang”: “Young Master Jiang, do you need lamps in Haicheng now?”