Transmigration: On the Gossip Front-Chapter 977 - 978: Countryside Orphan Girl 22

Liu Jia? The elderly couple from the Jiang Family had debated for a long time. Deep down, they really didn’t want to help Liu Jia.

But now that Li Cui had already spoken up, they couldn’t avoid addressing it.

Old Master Jiang mulled over it, "Can we just save Jiang Dawei?"

"After all, we don’t have enough money." Old Master Jiang looked visibly troubled.

"Three thousand, and we’ll forgive the both of them." Li Cui stated her price directly.

The elderly couple of the Jiang Family had anticipated a steep demand from Li Cui, but they hadn’t imagined it would be this high.

Both of them gasped audibly; they genuinely wanted to question, isn’t this outright exploitation?

But they didn’t dare say so. If she’s pushed too hard, and things escalate to legal proceedings, it would be over for them.

No need to mention sitting in prison for a few years—even if Jiang Dawei couldn’t work anymore, he wouldn’t walk away unscathed.

"That’s a lot of money; it’s beyond what we expected." Did Old Master Jiang have that money on hand? Of course he did. freēnovelkiss.com

But the key issue was, once that money was spent, they’d be left with practically nothing, and the thought of that was unbearable to them.

"You can discuss it." Li Cui interjected sharply, "If not for the director’s involvement, we wouldn’t even want to negotiate with you."

"A bunch of disgusting people. They deserve to go in for some reeducation. Only then will you learn certain things can’t be meddled with."

Li Cui motioned for them to leave, "It’s getting late, and we have to work tomorrow."

"You’re leaders; it’s fine for you to arrive at your units a bit late." Li Cui added mockingly.

The elderly couple of the Jiang Family had privately resented how ruthless Li Cui was; she had started negotiations at such a high price.

Now seeing her stance, they were even more panicked. If she insisted on handling this formally, their family would absolutely suffer.

For this grandmother-grandson duo, they had pensions, savings, and Old Madam Jiang’s retirement fund. Zhang Yu had a job too, so they weren’t short on money.

But their own family, on the other hand, couldn’t afford to drag things out.

Old Master Jiang sighed helplessly, "Three thousand it is."

"Will you write a receipt?"

"A receipt?" Li Cui laughed, "No. Instead, I’ll just write: because Jiang Dawei and Liu Jia schemed to take Liu Hong’s pension and job, they’re receiving voluntary compensation from the Jiang Family."

The Jiang Family couldn’t issue a receipt, as they might use it to stir trouble later.

A compensation note was much better—after all, the Jiang Family was voluntarily giving the money. How could they cause a ruckus after that?

Old Master Jiang had actually considered that once his son and daughter-in-law were out, he’d report Zhang Yu’s family, making them beg for help in return.

Unexpectedly, Li Cui proposed such a note, effectively strangling any future attempts at retaliation.

A note like that, once revealed, would undeniably inspire contempt from anyone who saw it.

"Also, the note should be signed by the neighborhood committee, the police station director, and your leaders at the supply and marketing cooperative. I think that would be better."

If the Jiang Family insisted on causing trouble, fine—let’s see if the witnesses would oblige them.

Li Cui’s statement frightened Old Master Jiang immensely. Having the police station head sign was one thing; he already knew about the issue.

But getting signatures from the neighborhood committee and supply and marketing cooperative leadership? That was completely unrealistic.

"No need, no need. We understand. I trust you won’t go back on your word." Old Master Jiang said magnanimously.

"I don’t trust you." Li Cui replied bluntly, showing her lack of faith in Old Master Jiang’s integrity.

"There must be witnesses; otherwise, forget it." Li Cui signaled for the elderly couple of the Jiang Family to go back and rethink their position.

"There’s no rush. Go home and talk it over carefully."

"After all, three thousand isn’t a small amount of money." Li Cui wore a facade of genuine concern for them.

The more Li Cui urged them to reconsider, the more anxious the elderly couple felt. "We’ll bring the money tomorrow."

"Ah, so soon?" Li Cui feigned disappointment and displeasure, seeming as though she didn’t want the elderly couple to act so quickly.

Back at home, the elderly couple of the Jiang Family began to debrief on Li Cui and Zhang Yu’s behavior. After some analysis, they felt helpless.

"They truly don’t want us to cough up the money. They’re just hoping to lock them up." Old Master Jiang lamented.

"Useless troublemakers!" The thought of handing over three thousand made Old Master Jiang’s mood sour; he really wanted to curse someone.

But there was no other choice. "Tomorrow, you go withdraw the money."

"We’ll settle this by noon and bring them out early."

"Then let them go back to work."

"Also, let them know the money is a loan, not a gift."

Old Master Jiang was resolute about not bearing this burden. "Tomorrow, make sure to lecture Liu Jia thoroughly. This time we’ll let it slide for being a first offense."

"But if it happens again, we’ll kick her out immediately."

"She can get lost back to wherever she came from—the job will go to someone else."

"As for the marriage arrangements for both kids, us from the Jiang Family will handle it. Liu Jia doesn’t need to pay a cent."

"This time, we absolutely cannot let Liu Jia off lightly. We must suppress her firmly; otherwise, we’ll be the ones suffering down the road."

This time it’s three thousand—who knows how much it would cost next time if she makes another mistake.

Did Old Madam Jiang have any objections? Of course not. "Don’t worry, I’ll educate her properly."

Regarding her daughter-in-law, Old Madam Jiang did have dissatisfaction. But for the sake of her two grandchildren, she endured it. Moreover, Liu Jia had performed decently before, which had put her at ease.

Who could have guessed that Liu Jia had been pretending all along?

Liu Yuanchao returned to his room but stood by the window, watching as the elderly couple of the Jiang Family talked for over half an hour before leaving with somber faces.

Was this a negotiation or had the Zhang Family presented an unreasonable demand?

Liu Yuanchao was genuinely curious.

He thought about going to ask them what was going on—only then could he estimate how much Old Master Jiang wanted to pay to resolve this.

But when he looked up again, the elderly couple from the Jiang Family had already disappeared. While tempted to chase after them, he worried it wouldn’t end well.

Forget it. Tomorrow, he would go to the police station to ask Old Master Jiang himself what could be done. At present, he could only hope Old Master Jiang would secure their release soon.

Li Cui and Zhang Yu rested peacefully—after all, their hardest days were behind them. Now, they only wanted to live well.

They patiently waited to see what kind of fate would befall those who tried to manipulate them.

The Liu Family members, Liu Ke included, couldn’t sleep well either; everyone was anxious and restless.

Likewise, the elderly couple from the Jiang Family couldn’t sleep well. Whenever they thought about the money that was about to leave their hands, they felt unease.

The pair spent the night clutching their savings book tightly as they attempted to sleep.

The next morning, Old Master Jiang looked at the savings book once more before handing it decisively to Old Madam Jiang. "Today, go withdraw the money and get them out."

"As long as the people are fine and the work remains, this small amount of money will allow us some breathing room." Old Master Jiang could only console himself this way.

Old Madam Jiang hummed in agreement, "Don’t worry, I’ll handle it."

"Once the money is given, how can we deal with them anymore?" Old Madam Jiang’s face contorted bitterly. "They’re actually demand such a lofty sum."

"It’s voluntary, and the reason for it is clearly stated, along with the compensation amount. How could you even sue them?"

"Do you want our family’s reputation to get even worse?" Everyone had been discussing this matter, after all.