Chapter 267
Tang Mi had no idea that she had been set up.
She was sitting in the Tang family's main hall, slowly sipping tea, waiting to watch the drama unfold.
Before long, Tang Jin rushed back hurriedly.
The butler had called her to say that her grandmother was ill. She had dropped her work and driven back, only to find a large group of people sitting in the living room.
The elderly clan elder of the Tang family, her eldest uncle, another uncle, and a bunch of cousins—these people all had a look of intrigue in their eyes, clearly targeting her.
Tang Jin had initially been worried about her grandmother's illness, but now, that worry dissipated, replaced by composure.
She was now the person in power in the Tang family, the chairman of the Tang Group, and the head of the family. She had no need to fear such an occasion.
"Why is Third Granduncle here too? Is Grandmother terribly ill?" Tang Jin stepped forward. "What illness has Grandmother contracted? Why hasn't she gone to the hospital?"
"My health has been acting up frequently lately, so I plan to go to Switzerland for convalescence next week." Madam Tang took a sip of tea and said slowly, "Xiao Jin, put aside your work and accompany me abroad for a while."
All eyes instantly swept over to her.
Tang Jin pursed her lips tightly.
Her great-grandfather's body wasn't even cold yet, and her grandmother was already scheming against her position as the heir.
Who did her grandmother want to give the heir position to?
Her eldest male cousin was already in prison, so it had to be her second male cousin.
But her second cousin was a drunkard who drank every day after getting married and committed domestic violence against his wife and children. Could such a person bear the heavy responsibility of the Tang Group?
Tang Jin's expression was indifferent. "Grandmother, the Tang Group is in a crucial period these few days. I'll have the butler accompany you to recuperate. He took care of Great-grandfather for over a decade and has more experience than I do."
"Do I lack servants? I don't have a daughter, so I want you, my granddaughter, to accompany me." Madam Tang's chest heaved violently. "What, now that you've become the head of the Tang family, you no longer put me, your grandmother, in your eyes, is that it?"
Tang Jin's eldest uncle said coldly, "Xiao Jin, even though you are the head, she is still your elder. Your grandmother is ill and asked you to accompany her to the sanatorium. What's wrong, are you feeling wronged? You even dare to refuse?"
"Why is Eldest Uncle in such a hurry to send me abroad?" Tang Jin was completely unafraid, meeting his gaze. "For my shares? For my position as heir? Are you hoping I never return to the country?"
"Insolent!" Madam Tang said angrily. "Filial piety is the most important of all virtues. If you can't even respect your elders, what right do you have to be the heir!"
Tang Mi pretended to persuade her, "Third Sister, it's too exhausting for a girl to manage the group. Just give it up. You can collect a large dividend every year and live comfortably."
"If you truly thought that way, you wouldn't have agreed to a marriage alliance with Hai Chang'an." Tang Jin smiled. "You lost, so you hope I lose too. It's perfectly normal for a loser to have such thoughts."
"You!"
Tang Mi flung her hand down.
Death is imminent, yet she's still so arrogant.
Now that Great-grandfather had passed away and Grandfather was lying in the hospital, Grandmother had the final say in the Tang family.
"Xiao Jin," Third Granduncle spoke up. "Look at the ancestors of the Tang family. When has there ever been a precedent of a daughter taking power? The old master was confused on his deathbed. Are you going to be ignorant too?"
Eldest Aunt sneered, "A girl will eventually marry. You are hogging the family business now; are you going to take it all to the Ji family in the future?"
Tang Jin smiled.
She first looked at the clan elder: "Third Granduncle, your branch indeed has a male in power, but more than half of your family fortune has been squandered away. That's why, despite your old age, you are always coming to my great-grandfather for handouts... Great-grandfather used to say that we shouldn't judge people by their gender, only by whether they are useful or not. Sure enough, some men really have nothing to show for themselves except boasting about their gender."
Third Granduncle's face turned livid.
Tang Mi was dumbfounded.
Even when Great-grandfather was alive, he wouldn't speak to Third Granduncle like that. Tang Jin was far too bold.
Did she not want to survive in the Tang family anymore?
Tang Jin then looked at her eldest aunt: "Eldest Aunt indeed gave birth to two outstanding sons. What a pity, though. The eldest male cousin has been arrested, and the second male cousin commits domestic violence against his wife every day. It's only a matter of time before things blow up and he gets detained. Giving birth to two such trashes who aren't even worthy of being human, and you still have the nerve to compare genders with me?"
She said indifferently, "The company is busy, so I won't keep you all company for tea."
She turned around and walked away.
A teacup was violently swept onto the floor, sending porcelain shards flying.
Third Granduncle rose in anger: "If you dare walk out this door today, your name will be removed from the genealogy book! We'll make your father's branch die out! Offending the entire Tang family, let's see who will back you up in the future! Would the Ji family want a daughter-in-law who disowns her own relatives?"
"What a lively scene."
A cold, clear male voice came from the doorway. Ji Jingchuan strode in, still wearing his school uniform, twirling a car key in his hand.
"Pardon the intrusion. I'm here to pick up my fiancée for a meal."
Madam Tang's expression changed slightly. "This is our Tang family's private matter."
"What a coincidence, I'm practically half a member of the Tang family, aren't I?" Ji Jingchuan suddenly glanced at a document placed by the sofa and smiled. "Oh? An election for a temporary chairman? Old Master Tang's body isn't even cold yet, and the ink on his will hasn't even dried."
"A'Chuan," Tang Jin said softly. "I can handle this matter well..."
Ji Jingchuan gently squeezed her fingers and pulled a document out of his briefcase. "Grandmother, did you just say you don't have a daughter?"
The temperature in the room seemed to drop by ten degrees.
Madam Tang's face instantly turned deathly pale. "What, what do you mean?"
Ji Jingchuan curled his lips. "Before marrying into the Tang family, Madam Tang had a passionate romance, but in the end, she was arranged by her family to marry into the Tang family. And three months before the wedding, you gave birth to a baby girl in the hospital. That baby girl from back then is now in her forties. With her accompanying you to Switzerland to recuperate, I suppose you won't be lonely."
These words were undoubtedly a massive bombshell dropped on the Tang family.
The expressions of everyone present changed completely.
Even Tang Jin had a look of astonishment on her face.
"Nonsense!" Madam Tang's lips trembled with anger. "Fourth Master Ji, if you dare spout one more word of nonsense, I will definitely slap you across the face!"
Ji Jingchuan held up the document. "The evidence is conclusive. Do you all want to see if it's nonsense?"
Ever since Tang Jiaquan made a move against Tang Jin, he had started investigating these demons and monsters of the Tang family.
He truly hadn't expected Madam Tang to be hiding such a massive secret.
He originally hadn't wanted to destroy the peace of the Tang family.
But Madam Tang insisted on constantly causing trouble.
Making trouble for Tang Jin meant making trouble for him. Naturally, he didn't mind tearing off this fig leaf.
He took a step forward, approaching Madam Tang, and spoke in a low voice, "Grandmother, do you want all the Tang family members to examine the evidence, or do you want to announce that you will voluntarily take Second Young Master Tang and the Third Young Master abroad to recuperate with you?"
That very night, Madam Tang took her two grandsons and left Haicheng.