Worse with Every Generation

Jingdou International Airport.

Jiang Chunlan strode out of the VIP corridor, and a middle-aged man in a business suit hurried to meet her. He spoke in a respectful tone.

"You've worked hard, Madam. Allow me to drive you to your hotel to get some rest."

Jiang Chunlan never broke her brisk pace.

"No need for that. Let's do some work first."

A cacophony of voices filled the hall, making it noisy and chaotic as only a public establishment could be.

Jiang Chunlan looked in the distance and saw that the airport's entrance was blocked by a sea of heads.

"Those are fans waiting for the arrival of their favorite celebrity," Jiang Hui explained. "There are too many eyes here, Madam. We must leave right away."

"Ah, ah! Qu Feitai has come out!"

"Feitai looks so hot and vibrant!"

Screams rang throughout the arrival area as fans waved their slogans in the air.

"Qu Feitai?" Jiang Chunlan raised her eyebrows with interest. "The so-called Crown Prince of the Qu family?"

Jiang Hui laughed dryly at the moniker. "This young master is apparently dissatisfied with the life of a second-generation heir and insisted on going into the entertainment industry instead. I heard that he angered the Old Master Qu so much that the elder threatened to remove him from the family register."

Jiang Chunlan chuckled. "Members of the Qu family are only getting worse with every generation. They no longer hold the values that Old Master Qu exercised in the past."

"In any case, Qu Feitai is wildly popular these days. My little sister is obsessed with him, which worries me, I must say."

As they exited the airport, a light drizzle began to fall.

Jiang Chunlan looked up at the dark skies and sighed. "The weather here in the capital is always s unpredictable."

A black Audi spread through the driveway and stopped in front of them. Jiang Hui stepped forward and opened the door to the back seat. Once their mistress was settled inside, Zhou Xue rounded the car to join her.

As for Jiang Hui, he took the passenger seat. "Let's go," he told the driver after clicking his seatbelt into place.

The car cruised down the wide avenue of the city, rows upon rows of buildings standing tall on either side. A good number of vehicles were out on the road. Even so, this was just the tip of the iceberg. The true wealth of the metropolis was far greater than what was on the surface.

Jiang Chunlan watched the scenery flying past as the car sped away, thinking of the time when she had last left this place.

"Madam, here is all the information on Zhao Kang." Jiang Hui handed her a tablet.

"Zhao Kang's wife, Wu Rumei, is the daughter of the Wu family. Over the years, he has relied on her family's influence to amass wealth and do much evil. They are resented by the masses in general. Not only that, but his personal life was equally chaotic. He has taken quite a number of lovers since he got married. One of his paramours is Zheng Qing, a well-known celebrity. She secretly gave birth to his son, but Wu Rumei eventually learned about it. A huge commotion ensued soon after. At first, the Wu family wanted to send Zhao Kang away with nothing to his name, but they suddenly backed down. It appears that Zhao Kang had a talk with the Wu elders, which led to a quiet settlement of the matter. Nobody knows what was said between the two parties, however. A week after that, Wu Rumei was admitted to a mental hospital, and Zheng Qing came to live in Zhao Kang's residence."

"Does Zhao Kang have something on the Wu family?" Zhou Xue muttered with disdain.

"According to our sources, he is a very careful and meticulous man. He even keeps a ledger for all the gifts he had given to various people over the years. Each entry is very detailed, though. The Wu family has taken a lot from him as well, so if such a ledger really exists, then that would explain why they couldn't act rashly against him."

Jiang Chunlan quickly skimmed over the report. "Find Wu Rumei. She is the key to all of this. And send someone to keep an eye on Zheng Qing."…

...

It was Ming Jing's turn to be on class duty today, and it was almost seven o'clock when she finally arrived home.

When she walked into the living room, all the lights were lit.

Lin Qing and Grandma Zhu were on the sofa, chatting. When they saw her come in, Lin Qing rose and walked over with a smile. She took Ming Jing's bag and said, "Why have you come home so late? Don't travel by yourself in the future. It isn't safe for a girl to be out at such an hour. Starting tomorrow, you should take the limo with Xiangxiang."

Ming Jing had never heard the woman speak in such a gentle voice before. And Lin Qing was just beginning.

"You must be starving. Hurry and go wash your hands. We've been waiting for you, so we can have dinner together."

Grandma Zhu looked on with a pleased smile. It seemed that Lin Qing had finally come to her senses.

But Ming Jing grabbed her schoolbag back and said, "I don't eat dinner."

"Oh, yes, I forgot. Then have some soup, at least. I know you don't eat meat, so I prepared a special mushroom soup for you. I put in a lot of Chinese medicinal herbs, too. It should be good for the body."

"Ming Jing," Grandma Zhu added. "Your mother spent the whole afternoon cooking."

Ming Jing knew in her heart that these were all empty gestures. Still, she had manners.

"I'm going to my room to change."

Lin Qing's eyes darkened as she watched the girl trudge up the stairs.

"I'm glad that you've seen the light now," Grandma Zhu said with zeal. "Ming Jing is your biological daughter. See, despite her suffering in the past, she is still so sensible and obedient. As her mother, it's only right that you take good care of her."

"Mom, something happened to Shaodan," Lin Qing said without warning.

Her words sent the old woman's blood pressure soaring. "What did you say?"

"It's complicated, but the bottom line is that only Ming Jing can save him."

Understanding dawned on Grandma Zhu's face, and she snorted. "It's no wonder you were so kind to her. It turns out you have ulterior motives."

"I have to take care of my priorities, okay?" Lin Qing countered with a sneer. "Shaodan is also your grandchild. Don't you care if he gets hurt?"

"I've told you countless times that you dote on him too much. With all that coddling and his nasty personality, he was bound to get into trouble sooner or later."

"You used to love Shaodan the most, Mom. It's fine if you don't want to help him, but why do you have to say these cruel things?"

"What can an old woman like myself even d to help? Should I lick his opponent's feet and beg for mercy? Not only am I deprived of a peaceful and harmonious family, but it looks like I must also degrade myself for your sake. I can't believe I am saddled with such cumbersome successors."

Lin Qing took a deep breath and silently cursed the old woman. "All right, just don't say anything else later. You've already given me enough advice."

"You and Wen Tao are both so senseless." Grandma Zhu shook her head. "How do you expect Ming Jing to help? She just arrived in the city after years in the mountain. Who Else Can Jiang Zhou Know?"

Lin Qing was aware that Ming Jing had a good relationship with the old matriarch. In a last bid to get the elder on her side, she told Grandma Zhu about Madam Jiang, fully expecting her to understand. Instead, Grandma Zhu laughed in her face. She pointed a mocking finger at Lin Qing. "You idiot! Why must our family be ruined by the likes of you?"

Lin Qing flared up under such treatment. "What do you mean by that, Mom?"

"It is important to treat each other with respect and sincerity. I can't stop you from scheming against other people, but right now, you're scheming against your own daughter! I can see why Ming Jing doesn't get close to you. You're a failure as a mother."