Chapter 23: Only by Growing Stronger Can One Survive

Jiang Ming thought the woman who had stood up was flying into a rage and intended to strike her, so she immediately braced herself for defense. She was confident that the moment the woman’s hand swung toward her, she could catch it with perfect precision and fling it back with force.

Xie Yan had the same intuition. He silently extended a hand to shield Jiang Ming’s back, his eyes locked on the woman’s movements, prepared at any moment to protect the girl beside him. Seeing how thin and small she was—barely weighing ninety pounds at just over five feet three—he doubted she could withstand a single slap from the woman.

"Well, speaking of which, my husband's nephew happens to be exactly the kind of man Ming was talking about. Truly, he is so excellent that you’d have a hard time finding his match even if you searched with a lantern."

So, she was merely volunteering herself. Once she finished speaking, she beckoned to the people waiting outside the door to come in immediately. If the previous tactic didn't work, they had new tricks up their sleeves. As long as they could turn Jiang Ming to their side, they wouldn't have to worry about her refusing to help them in the future.

Two men walked in from outside—one fat, one thin, one tall, one short—looking like a pair of mismatched chopsticks. The tall, thin one had very sparse hair, a protruding lower jaw, and dull, vacant eyes; he looked like a frostbitten, balding tree, as if he were about to wither away at any second. The short, fat one was even more unappealing: his facial features were squashed together, his eyes visible only as slits hidden within rolls of flesh, his belly comparable to someone six months pregnant, and his mouth filled with yellowed teeth. He didn't look particularly bright, either.

It was hard to fathom how this woman could utter the word "excellent." When men look for a wife, they consider appearance, physique, and family background; why is it that when it comes to women, they feel entitled to present just about anything?

Jiang Ming didn't understand it, and that’s not even mentioning Jiang Man and the others; even Old Master Jiang and Old Master Xie had faces darkened with displeasure.

"Look at them, aren't they both stocks with great potential? If one gains a little weight and the other loses some, wouldn't they both be dashing, handsome men? They are a perfect match for our Jiang Ming."

"Is that so? A match? I’m afraid they aren't even fit to carry my shoes."

Jiang Ming hadn't intended to be so harsh, but faced with the two men’s lewd, appraising gazes, she could no longer hold back. "My dear auntie—or whatever you are—I’d like to know: what are their educational backgrounds? Where do they work now? What is their salary? Have they bought a house? Do they have a car? How much are their savings? Do their parents have pensions?"

Faced with this barrage of questions, the woman on the other side didn't know how to respond. What could she say? She was merely doing a favor for her mother-in-law by bringing these two nephews to the Jiang household. If either Jiang Ming or Jiang Man happened to be blind enough to take one, she would have facilitated a marriage, a favor she could cash in on later.

"They are still so young; they will have all of that in the future. As a young girl, don't be so materialistic. If you're too realistic, who would dare want you?"

"So, you actually know what reality is? I thought you were telling me fairy tales. Why can't I be realistic? I’m not filming a television drama; do you expect me to play along with your performance?" Jiang Ming rolled her eyes at the woman, then at the two men who had stood there in a daze since they entered. "If you have the time, you’d be better off convincing your in-laws to take these two for a medical check-up. Early detection, early treatment."

"You... a woman like you, who would dare want you? Every other word out of your mouth is about money; you’ve fallen right into the money pit, haven't you?"

When the trickery and deception failed, the woman grew furious from embarrassment and pointed at Jiang Ming, cursing. Jiang Ming didn't care at all. The woman was right; she was in the money pit. She intended to rely on her own abilities to become the richest woman in the land.

"The Xie family wants her. My Xie family has plenty of money; I only fear our family's threshold is too low to be worthy of such an excellent young lady as Jiang Ming." Old Master Xie had been watching the spectacle for a while, and upon hearing such disparaging remarks about Jiang Ming, he could no longer stand by. "What kind of filth is this? To dare bring such things before us two old men—aren't they afraid of frightening us?"

His words were merciless, yet the group dared not refute a single syllable. Everyone knew the city was divided: the Xie family in the south and the Jiang family in the north.

"Enough. I know your intentions. Go back," Old Master Jiang said, dismissing them. "My decisions are not for you to question."

"Jiang Man, why don't you take a look? You can't rely on the young master of the Li family anyway. If you marry into our family, we will surely cherish you." The woman still wouldn't give up. If she went back and her mother-in-law found out that her precious grandsons had been spoken to so harshly at the Jiang residence, she would be in for a brutal scolding.

"What kind of trash is this, being dumped at our doorstep? If you can't dispose of it properly, send it to the scrapyard," Jiang Man said even more bluntly.

As soon as she spoke, Jiang Shi was stunned. Was this the same timid girl who had been terrified earlier today? She seemed like a completely different person. Seeing this, Jiang Ming wore a look of satisfaction; she hadn't misjudged Jiang Man. A submissive girl couldn't survive in the Jiang family. Strength was the first law of survival.

"Please leave." Old Ye gestured for them to go, half-pushing the group out of the courtyard gate. Although it looked like a large group had arrived, only two had actually spoken. If they had been more united and clever, Old Master Jiang might have arranged a cushy position for them at the company out of respect for his deceased brothers, which would have been better than relying on charity for the rest of their lives. Alas, they didn't understand this; those who stepped forward did so only for their own gain, while the silent ones stood by and watched, hoping to satisfy their own interests through the efforts of others.

After the group left, no one had any appetite left for dinner, except for Jiang Ming, who was still thinking about the unfinished meal on the table.

"Ming, when you get back, I'll have someone prepare a fresh meal for you. These are getting cold; don't eat them." The elderly were easily satiated, and having been riled up by that group, Old Master Jiang had lost his appetite. Seeing Jiang Ming sit back down so obediently, he couldn't help but smile.

The introduction of those two men was nominally about "strengthening family ties," but in reality, it was a way to belittle Jiang Ming, insidiously implying that she only deserved that kind of trash. He didn't know if the child was truly indifferent or if she was simply too broad-minded to grasp the underlying meaning.

"No need, Grandfather. It’s a waste to leave it. I might as well eat it. I’ve eaten colder food than this; I’ll be fine..." As soon as she said it, Jiang Ming realized what she had let slip and cut herself off, silently continuing to eat. In the days since she arrived, she hadn't told anyone how she had survived, acting so normally that people ignored the fact that she had escaped from such a suffocating household.

As for what just happened, it wasn't that she didn't understand the woman's implications; she simply didn't care. Such behavior wouldn't cost her a cent or lose her any flesh; why bother hurting herself by getting angry over such trifles? Besides, she had said those words deliberately. She remembered every bit of the hardship she had endured, and she would mention it when necessary. After all, suffering was the best tear-jerker and the final bullet to pierce through a person’s defenses.

Seeing Jiang Ming eating on her own, the young masters and ladies who had been pampered all their lives followed suit and sat back down at the table. Clearly, Jiang Ming's "unintentional" remark had already stirred their sympathy. Especially Jiang Man; hearing Jiang Ming say that made her heart ache. That life was supposed to be hers, yet Jiang Ming had endured it for her for eighteen years.

"This poor girl, I don't know how much she suffered in the past. Now that she’s finally reached the end of her hardships, she still can't get the love of her parents," Old Master Jiang sighed, his eyes filled with heartache for Jiang Ming. If the old matriarch were still alive and knew her granddaughter had spent eighteen years in misery, there was no telling how she would have rebuked and punished Jiang Cheng.

"Consider it a tempering for the child. I find Jiang Ming to be extraordinary; she will surely achieve great things in the future," Old Master Xie said, admiring Jiang Ming. He was particularly taken by her drive; it felt as though nothing in the world could ever knock her down.

"Man, let's go learn to drive tomorrow." Since Jiang Man wasn't going to the company, and Jiang Ming didn't want to go tomorrow either—she knew nothing about company affairs and needed to learn before she could take over, so there was no point in going to the office and adding to Xie Yan's burden—it was the perfect time.

"No need for a school. Xie Yan and I will teach you. Once you're trained, you can sign up for the exam and get your license in a little over a month." Jiang Shi’s suggestion was spot on. Since Jiang Ming wanted to save time, this was the best approach.

"That works."