Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire
Chapter 406 - Chapter 406 Chapter 395 To Coerce by Threatening Suicide

Chapter 406: Chapter 395 To Coerce by Threatening Suicide Chapter 406: Chapter 395 To Coerce by Threatening Suicide Lu Jiaxin glanced at the person not far away and immediately had Zong Jinghua put away the wooden granary. Nowadays, the wooden granary wasn’t controlled as strictly as in later generations, but it still wasn’t right to brandish one at people in broad daylight.

Captain Du and Secretary Ruan were also startled by the sudden appearance of the figure. When they saw who it was, Secretary Ruan’s face turned green, “Ding Tangping, what are you doing here?”

He had just confidently assured Comrade Lu that everything was arranged and that the Ding Family wouldn’t come to make trouble. He didn’t expect to be contradicted so soon.

Ding Tangping wasn’t afraid of him at all and roared, “Mu Niang is my wife. Without my consent, none of you should even think about moving her grave. Otherwise, I’ll die right here today.”

By the rules, what Miss Lu was doing really wasn’t right, but who could blame her when she had the support of wealthy county leaders?

Lu Jiaxin sat back on the cushion and slowly drank her water.

Secretary Ruan said, “Ding Tangping, Comrade Guh Lanlan has been gone for nearly forty years, and in all this time you haven’t visited her grave once. Now Miss Lu, wishing to fulfill her filial duty, wants to relocate Comrade Guh Lanlan’s grave to Hong Kong. Just let her do it!”

Less than three months after Guh Lanlan died, Ding Tangping remarried. His new wife gave him a big fat baby boy the following year. He not only forgot all about Guh Lanlan, but he also let his new wife mistreat Ding Xiaoxia.

Ding Tangping glanced at Lu Jiaxin, then said out loud, “No, Mu Niang is my wife for life, and when my time comes, I intend to be buried alongside her.”

If they let Lu Jiaxin move the grave this time, they would gain nothing from it later, so this was their only chance.

Captain Du looked at Lu Jiaxin and saw that her expression was unchanged. Although he was annoyed with Secretary Ruan for botching the situation, he had to step in at this critical time, “Comrade Ding, Comrade Lu has received approval from higher-ups for this gravesite relocation, and nobody can stop it. However, if you have any reasonable demands, we’ll try our best to accommodate them.”

Once upon a time, Ding Tangping was quite obsessed with Guh Lanlan, but after almost forty years, what affection could remain? His painstaking effort to get here was all for the sake of personal gain.

Without any further pleasantries, Ding Tangping raised his voice and said, “If you want to move the grave, that’s fine, but you must give me fifty thousand yuan.”

He Bin thought he was dreaming. His boss had donated to the county precisely to avoid giving Ding Tangping any money – a donation of one million yuan. Let alone fifty thousand, not even fifty yuan would be given to him.

Upon hearing this, Captain Du immediately objected, saying that fifty thousand was too much. With a stern face, he said, “Fifty thousand? Old Comrade Ding, you’re making an outrageous demand. Fifty thousand is out of the question. Name a realistic amount.”

Ding Tangping pulled a knife out of his pocket and pointed the tip at the position of his major artery, saying, “Fifty thousand, not a penny less, or else I’ll die right here today.”

Captain Du tried to persuade Ding Tangping but he wouldn’t budge. It fell to Secretary Ruan to step forward and, after much persuasion, he got the amount down to thirty thousand. Then he refused to give any further ground.

Then, both men turned to look at Lu Jiaxin.

With an expressionless face, Lu Jiaxin asked, “Captain Du, Secretary Ruan, is this the ‘no mishap’ you promised?”

Captain Du had thought it would be a mere formality, never expecting such a situation. He suppressed his anger as he spoke, “Comrade Lu, we failed to handle this properly. However, we can’t have bloodshed during the relocation – it would be inauspicious. What do you think about this situation…”

Lu Jiaxin sneered inwardly, seeing that they hoped she would give in, “Captain Du, Secretary Ruan, are you expecting me to accept his terms?”

Though he didn’t wish to, Captain Du saw no better solution than to agree to Ding Tangping’s demands.

Secretary Ruan said nothing; his silence was a tacit agreement. He thought the Ding Family was so poor they couldn’t even afford food, and Lu Jiaxin, as the granddaughter with wealth, should support Ding Tangping.

Without any expression, Lu Jiaxin stated, “Captain Du, Secretary Ruan, I can give him the thirty thousand. However, this means that you have broken your promise, and I won’t be donating the remaining five hundred thousand.”

Captain Du’s face turned green.

Secretary Ruan broke out in a cold sweat. If the remaining five hundred thousand was not donated, the road construction would run out of funds halfway through, and the village would not be able to get electricity. His position as the village party secretary would be finished.

He Bin wasn’t surprised; if his boss was willing to give Ding Tangping money, there wouldn’t have been a donation in the first place. But he hadn’t expected the people here to be so incompetent, unable to even keep an old man in check. Well, maybe not incompetent, maybe they had simply turned a blind eye.

Ding Tangping only knew that Lu Jiaxin donated money to the county for road construction but had no idea how much. When he heard it was as much as five hundred thousand, he was shocked, scared, and resentful, “Lu Jiaxin, you have so much money yet refuse to give a penny to help your uncle. How could you be so heartless?”

Lu Jiaxin looked at his small knife and said coldly, “Aren’t you the one who wants to die? Go on, stab yourself! Rest assured, no one will stop you. When you’re dead, I’ll buy you a high-quality coffin. That will be my filial duty as your granddaughter.”

Ding Tangping had always known of her heart of stone, but to remain indifferent even to his imminent death, he wept bitter tears, “Jiaxin, your grandfather was wrong back then. What must I do for you to forgive me?”

Lu Jiaxin said contemptuously, “Back then, you used your position as the village chief’s son to force my grandmother into marriage, then didn’t treat her well, leading to her death at a young age. My mother also suffered greatly in your Ding Family, forced into such a state of misery that she had to flee. After committing such sins, you still expect to take my money and live a life of luxury. The world doesn’t work that cheaply.”

After a pause, she continued, “However, for my grandmother’s sake, I am willing to compromise. You want thirty thousand, I can give it to you now. Brother Gu, give him the money.”

Ding Tangping was a bit excited, his hand holding the knife trembling.

Upon hearing this, Captain Du panicked and quickly shouted, “Comrade Lu, wait a moment, let us talk to Comrade Ding again.”

Lu Jiaxin watched The Gold Picker continue to work, remaining silent. Her silence meant she was willing to give them time to talk.

Ding Tangping saw Secretary Ruan closing in and once again positioned the knife at his major artery, “Don’t come any closer, or I’ll die right here.”

Secretary Ruan said bluntly, “Ding Tangping, if you have the guts, just stab yourself. A man on the verge of the coffin, using death to threaten others – who do you think you’re scaring?”

Before Ding Tangping could say anything, he added, “If you die, that’s the end of it, but what about your two grandsons? Have you thought about how they are going to live in the village after you’re gone?”

His hope was that Lu Jiaxin, being a young woman, would soften her heart and yield. Never did he expect her to be so resolute. With the situation as it was, he couldn’t muddy the waters any further.

Ding Tangping could tell that this was a threat. If he truly died there that day, his grandsons would have no good days left in the brigade. But with his household now poor as dirt, and his grandsons potentially unable to even find wives in the future, he couldn’t pass up this sole chance for redemption.