This statement seemed like a spur-of-the-moment idea, but in fact, it had long been deeply contemplated by Liang Jinlan.
Liang Jinlan had always seen Jiang Zhe as a big problem, so today, when the old man came to take her back, it was exactly what she wanted.
If it wasn't for her eagerness to get rid of Jiang Zhe, she wouldn't have agreed to let the old man into the house, entangling their affairs.
Upon hearing these words, Han Jiayan and Gu Jiaheng each picked up their teacup and slowly sipped their tea.
"But mom, my sister has gotten used to living with the Jiang Family. Can she adapt to returning?" Jiang Fanyue's eyes lit up, then she immediately bit her lip and said with concern.
She was afraid that Jiang Zhe would not agree.
There was nothing good about Jiang Zhe; both the Jiang and Gu Families disdained her, but she was born with a beautiful face that made Jiang Fanyue both envious and jealous.
As children, their bond made Jiang Fanyue willing to get close to Jiang Zhe.
However, Jiang Zhe's aloofness, as well as her inexplicable aura, filled Jiang Fanyue with trepidation. Despite being siblings born of the same mother, just one year apart, they were utterly different in appearance and personality.
Especially when Jiang Zhe occasionally demonstrated talents that Fanyue couldn't match and mingled with mysterious people, it put immense pressure on Jiang Fanyue.
Only by her leaving could this pressure be completely relieved.
Liang Jinlan glanced at Jiang Zhe, "Doesn't she like living at school? After going back, she can continue to live on campus. I'll add some more money to her meal card, so she should be able to get by."
When mentioning Jiang Zhe, her tone was filled with displeasure.
Jiang Yaowang, unwilling to separate the sisters, said with some restraint, "Then why not let Xiaozhe stay as well, and we can talk about it later…"
"That won't be necessary," Liang Jinlan took a sip of tea, "How could I stand in the way of your family reunion? Auntie Zhang!"
"Madam, the young miss's luggage is all packed up." Auntie Zhang came over impatiently, carrying Jiang Zhe's luggage.
A small backpack, empty and hollow.
After living here for over a decade, this was all she had.
Jiang Yaowang stood up and stared at the backpack, his expression indescribable.
In front of so many people, Liang Jinlan's demeanor flashed with discomfort, somewhat embarrassed.
Gu Jiaheng, who was sitting by, clearly felt the unfair treatment Jiang Zhe received from the Jiang Family and cleared his throat, "Auntie, perhaps it's better for Jiang Zhe to stay a bit longer, and discuss moving back when she comes of age…"
Han Jiayan reached out and nudged her son's arm.
Jiang Fanyue's face stiffened, looking anxiously towards Liang Jinlan.
No one sought Jiang Zhe's opinion; as if she was only meant to be arranged by fate.
Before Liang Jinlan could speak, the silence was broken.
"No need, I'll move out right now."
A clear and indifferent voice rose, still carrying an air of nonchalance.
Jiang Zhe stood up from the couch, slender and frail, her long legs eye-catching.
She was still carelessly chewing gum, as if she didn't think this was about to impact her life significantly.
It was only her slightly raised eyes, stunningly captivating, the corners tinged with a faint red, like that of a fox, compelling one to take another glance.
Seductive, almost bewitching; bewitching, almost ethereal.
Jiang Yaowang was not seeing Jiang Zhe for the first time, but with each more detailed look, he became even more certain that only the Jiang Family could produce such a girl.
Jiang Zhe's words relieved everyone who had worried she wouldn't agree to leave, causing them to be overjoyed!
For the first time, Liang Jinlan found Jiang Zhe agreeable to look at.
Her expression relaxed, she smiled and said, "Xiaozhe, you do have your own ideas. Now that you're grown up, I will respect your decision. By the way, here is an agreement to dissolve the adoption relationship. It's good that we have Auntie Han here to be a witness…"
She gave a meaningful glance.
Auntie Zhang handed over the agreement that had been prepared long ago, the paper already slightly yellowed.
Jiang Zhe had known about this agreement's existence for a while, Liang Jinlan had originally intended for her to sign it as soon as she turned eighteen, to completely end the relationship between the two sides.
Unfortunately, because of the Jiang Family's reputation and Jiang Zhe's minority, this plan had never been realized.
Jiang Zhe also found it quite regrettable; she had wanted to sign this agreement for some time now.
As if afraid she would change her mind, Auntie Zhang had even prepared the pen.
Jiang Zhe picked up the pen with flair and signed her name flamboyantly at the bottom of the agreement.
Liang Jinlan looked over the agreement, put it away, and said with a smile, "We are mother and daughter after all. If you have any difficulties in the future, just speak up."
As the wife of the Jiang Family, pretty words were always necessary to say.
"Xiaozhe..." Jiang Yaowang's voice was a little choked up.
"Let's go," Jiang Zhe said, picking up her bag with a calm tone as if it were just another trivial matter.
Liang Jinlan snorted. She was indeed a child who couldn't be brought up as one's own.
Jiang Yaowang reluctantly glanced at Jiang Fanyue, and she shuddered with goosebumps.
"With older sister by your side to fulfill your filial duties, I can rest assured," she said softly.
The subtext was that she couldn't wait for Jiang Yaowang to forget about her in the Jiang Family, never to think of her again.
As if he completely misunderstood the underlying meaning of her words, Jiang Yaowang opened the tote bag he carried with him and held out two bags of local specialties, "Oh, these are mushrooms we grew at home, Mrs. Jiang, please let you and Fanyue have them. I hope you won't disdain them."
Seeing the two bags of nondescript dried mushrooms, Liang Jinlan and Jiang Fanyue struggled to hide their disgust, but their eyebrows still involuntarily furrowed.
"These are not easy for you to come by; take them back," Liang Jinlan said, not wanting to accept them. Just thinking about possibly having future dealings with these people made her feel anxious and irritable.
It's tough to get rid of poor relatives.
Fortunately, Jiang Fanyue was sensible and had a promising future, not letting down all the effort she had put in.
"Yes, you keep them for your own nourishment," Jiang Fanyue declined smoothly as well.
Feeling aggrieved, she thought: how could she, the well-known rich and privileged daughter of the Jiang Family in Jincheng, get entangled in such a mess?
How would others perceive her if this old man kept showing up?
"Fanyue..." the old man tried to insist once more.
"Grandfather, leave them for me," Jiang Zhe said, reaching out and taking them, "Let's go."
After taking them, she, who didn't care in the slightest, looked down at the mushrooms intently due to the feel of them in her hand.
Snow fungus?
It turned out to be snow fungus.
Snow fungus, a top-grade variety among mushrooms, greatly beneficial to one's health, especially for the sick.
One could not normally find this variety in the market; it had to be sourced through special channels and was quite expensive.
This delicacy was normally only consumed by the top families in Beijing, and even for them, it was a precious treasure to be cherished.
The old man had brought out two whole bags at once; was it deliberate, or a specialty obtained unintentionally?
Jiang Zhe just gave it a fleeting thought before casting it out of her mind and striding out.
"Sister..." Jiang Fanyue called out from behind, but Jiang Zhe didn't turn her head.
Watching Jiang Zhe and the old man walk out together, Liang Jinlan felt a huge weight lift from her heart.
This nuisance was finally resolved.