Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Turning the Tables After saying this, she stepped forward and stood before Qin Hanshen and Zhao Yuzhu, smiling as she greeted them. “Hello, Daddy. Hello, Mommy.” As soon as she finished greeting them, she raised a hand and spread her palm. Qin Hanshen and Zhao Yuzhu stared at her in confusion. “What are you doing?” Qin Ruochu’s tone was light, and her smile was sweet. “Grandmother said this is my first time coming back to my own home. Daddy should give me some pocket money and make up for what he owes me all these years. A stepmother is still a mother, and since I’ve called you Mommy, you should give me a welcoming gift. Besides, you haven’t raised me for even a single day, yet you’ve gotten such a big daughter for free, so you have to pay extra. Grandmother also said that you should convert all the birthday gifts I’ve missed over the years into cash. The standard should be based on Sister Weiyang’s annual expenses.” After saying this, Qin Ruochu gave the two no chance to object. She turned toward Qin Weiyang. “You’re the older sister Mommy brought into the Qin family. Since you changed your surname to Qin, I should call you Sister. I’ll be counting on you to look after me from now on.” Qin Weiyang had never expected that a country girl would give everyone such a forceful welcome. A mild smile quickly spread across her face. “You’re right, Sister. You’ve just come from the countryside, so you must have plenty of things you don’t understand. You can come ask me anytime.” “Don’t worry. I won’t stand on ceremony with you, Sister.” Qin Ruochu smiled, but there was something inexplicably unsettling about it. Qin Weiyang clenched her fists. Her hatred for Qin Ruochu reached its peak. Only then did Qin Ruochu turn her attention to her fifteen-year-old younger brother. He looked somewhat simpleminded, with a slightly plump build, a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. “Qin Zhengxuan, you should call me Sister.” Qin Zhengxuan instinctively glanced at his mother, then at Qin Weiyang. Only after receiving their approval did he reluctantly speak. “Second Sister!” Qin Ruochu nodded in satisfaction. “Good boy. This is a welcoming gift from your sister.” She took a small medicine box from her bag. “Body-Strengthening Pill. Remember to take it. Don’t let your sister’s good intentions go to waste.” Qin Zhengxuan accepted the wooden box with undisguised disdain and said thank you. But inwardly, he was utterly disgusted. Who gave medicine pills as a welcoming gift? Wasn’t she cursing him for having poor health? He would throw away this piece of junk from the countryside later. It was absolutely filthy. Qin Ruochu seemed to see right through him. “Since you don’t like it, then forget it.” Once he found out what the pill could do, he would regret it. Qin Ruochu then greeted the two Cousins. Since they were not familiar with each other, they exchanged only a few polite words. Qin Ruochu looked at Qin Hanshen and Zhao Yuzhu again. “Mom and Dad, have you prepared the things you’re giving me? If not, I’ll call Grandmother. She said that if the Qin family can’t take proper care of me, she’ll come back personally to see whether the Qin family has fallen so far that it can’t even afford to raise a child.” Qin Hanshen reluctantly took out a bank card. “There are thirty million in here. Consider it compensation from your father.” Zhao Yuzhu gritted her teeth and removed the jade bracelet from her wrist, slipping it onto Qin Ruochu’s other wrist. “This is your stepmother’s welcoming gift. Although it isn’t as good as your own piece, it’s still a fine jade ornament I spent a great deal of money searching for. As for compensation for your birthdays, I’ll have your father transfer another twenty million to your bank account later,” Zhao Yuzhu said. Qin Ruochu did not object. She merely smiled brightly. “Mom, that’s rather unfair. I heard that when Sister celebrated her birthday last year, the banquet you prepared cost more than a million, and the necklace you gave her was worth thirty million. How is it that after seventeen years, I’m only getting twenty million? Besides, Sister has plenty of jewelry, designer handbags, luxury cars, and private properties. Grandmother said that if you show favoritism, I should find a lawyer to calculate everything for me.” Zhao Yuzhu was overwhelmed and wished she could tear Qin Ruochu apart on the spot. She had kept the properties she bought for Qin Weiyang a secret all along. Even Qin Hanshen did not know about them. How had Qin Ruochu found out? Zhao Yuzhu gnashed her teeth and forced a smile. “I’ll give you sixty million. Business at home isn’t as good as it used to be, and our funds are tied up. Your father can’t give you any more money either. You’ll be living here in the future, and your father and I won’t mistreat you.” “Since both of you have guaranteed that, I can live here with peace of mind. I’m sure Grandmother will be relieved too.” Qin Ruochu’s slender fingers brushed over the hem of her clothes. She smiled at her father. “Where’s my room? I’ve been traveling for ten hours and I’m a little tired. Call me when it’s time for dinner. I’ll go tidy up first.” She had just arrived, yet she did not treat herself like an outsider at all. Instead, she had taken over as though she were the host. It was as if this were her home and they were the outsiders. After Qin Ruochu went upstairs, Qin Hanshen frowned. “She’s being unreasonable, but why did you go along with her? What would a little girl need so much money for?” Zhao Yuzhu was furious. She had not wanted to give it to her either. But Qin Ruochu’s words had been a blatant threat. She gave a dry laugh and spoke softly to Qin Hanshen. “This child wasn’t raised by our side from a young age, so we do owe her. Besides, she’s your biological daughter. It’s only natural that she would have more thoughts and comparisons in her heart. Weiyang has been loved and cared for by you all these years, and she’s already very content. These things are what Ruochu deserves. Don’t let the child feel hurt.” Qin Hanshen treated Zhao Yuzhu extremely well and listened to her in everything. Hearing this, he sighed. “She really doesn’t know any better. At such a young age, all she knows is how to fight for favor.” He looked at the butler. “Transfer the money to Second Miss. From now on, she’ll receive the same monthly allowance from the family trust as the other children. As for her other necessities, don’t buy anything else for her. With that much money, she can buy whatever she likes herself.” “Yes, sir!” Qin Hanshen and Zhao Yuzhu both felt thoroughly vexed. Qin Weiyang clenched her fists, wishing she could drive Qin Ruochu out. How could she have the nerve to ask for so much? She had taken eighty million from the family with a single opening remark. All these years, Qin Weiyang had spent only about that much in total. As for the two Gu family brothers who were living under someone else’s roof, they merely exchanged a glance. Both of them felt that Qin Ruochu was no simple person. The moment she returned, she had taken back the share that should have belonged to her, and her attitude had been firm. What shocked them most was that although Zhao Yuzhu was clearly unhappy, she had still gritted her teeth and given it to her. The two brothers had lived in the Qin family for so many years, always conducting themselves obediently and sensibly and never causing trouble. They knew exactly what kind of person Zhao Yuzhu was. …… Qin Ruochu arrived at the master bedroom on the fourth floor, which was the top floor. The room had remained vacant for seventeen years. It had originally been the bridal chamber where her parents had begun their married life, but after her mother passed away, it had been locked up. Now that she had returned, Qin Hanshen had people redecorate it. The bedroom had originally been laid out quite well, but they had forcibly turned it into a vast, empty hundred-square-meter room with windows running from north to south. The permanent fixtures had been done with some care, but the furnishings were perfunctory in the extreme. The sofa and bed in particular gave off a pungent odor. They had even removed the bathroom. Just how much did they dislike her? She picked up the bank card to check it and happened to see that the sixty million had arrived. She tossed the bank card onto the table and called Grandmother to let her know she was safe. “Grandmother, I’ve arrived at the Qin family. Everything’s fine. It’s just that the furniture in my room is useless. I’d like the furniture in your storeroom. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take good care of it……” Early the next morning, three cargo trucks pulled up at the Qin family residence. Zhao Yuzhu had just walked over and was preparing to sign for the delivery. Then she saw Qin Ruochu approaching with a beaming smile. “Mom, these are my things. It’s really strange—the furniture in our Qin family home has such a strong, pungent smell. I’ll have to discuss it with Father later. Using this kind of wood for too long can cause leukemia, the incurable kind. As for these trucks, Grandmother sent people to deliver solid-wood furniture to me. They aren’t for you, so please move aside. If anything gets scratched or damaged because of you, even you will have to pay for it.” After Qin Ruochu took over from the truck drivers, several strong men opened the rear doors and began carrying out the furniture. The bed came out first. Its craftsmanship was not particularly elaborate, but the wood gleamed with a warm purplish-brown hue in the sunlight. Its grain was fine, and the carving delicate. Then came several chairs, low stools, a writing desk, a dressing table, bedside tables, a six-door wardrobe, a tall chest of drawers, a low chest of drawers, a bookshelf, double-sided embroidered screens, and more. At a glance, the furnishings were so luxurious that they inspired envy. The wood was likely from the same batch. Although no one knew what kind it was, its smooth, supple feel alone showed that it was no ordinary wood. Watching the workers busily carry everything inside, Zhao Yuzhu walked over to Qin Ruochu and asked with a smile, “Ruochu, where did your grandmother buy this furniture? The styles are a little old-fashioned. Young people like you probably wouldn’t like them, would you?” Qin Ruochu smiled with complete guilelessness. “I asked Grandmother for them, so naturally they’re exactly what I like.”