Chapter 703 - Chapter 703: The Jade Pendant Is Fake
Chapter 703: The Jade Pendant Is Fake
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The security guard in the booth woke up groggily and pulled open the window, peering at the group as if they were fools.
Despite his amusement, he maintained basic courtesy and refrained from mocking them. He informed them, “Parents, our school notified students of their class assignments this morning. The process was completed earlier today. You’re only now arriving for the examination. Was there some misunderstanding?”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Mei’s brother almost dropped his precious grandson in shock. “How is that possible?” he exclaimed. “Gu Zi said… Could she have made a mistake?”
Panic set in among the family. They hurriedly got into their car, intending to seek out Gu Zi for clarification.
However, once the car started, Zhang Mei’s brother changed direction, heading towards the military compound. He remembered that Gu Zi’s residence wasn’t a place where one could easily cause a scene.
If they stirred up too much trouble and disturbed the important people living there, they could easily be thrown out by the patrolling guards. That would be too humiliating. They decided to go to the Gu family home instead.
“The gift was for the Gu family,” he reasoned. “If we want an explanation, we should go to them. The couple should give us an answer. They should take us to Gu Zi. That would make things easier. They can’t just accept such a valuable jade pendant and do nothing…”
Meanwhile, Zhang Mei secretly took the jade pendant she had received from her brother to a jade shop. She didn’t have a single piece of decent jewelry, which was unbecoming for a battalion commander’s wife.
Although she loved the jade pendant, it was the only one she had. She thought it would be better to exchange it for money and buy a few more pieces of jewellery she could wear out.
Upon arriving at the jade shop, she asked the owner to appraise the pendant and give her a price. “This is a family heirloom, an antique,” she said. “I wouldn’t part with it if I weren’t in urgent need of money. Please take a good look and tell me how much it’s worth.”
The shop owner examined the pendant carefully, even using a magnifying glass. The more he looked, the harder it was for him to suppress his laughter. He teased, “Madam, if this is your family heirloom, I’m afraid it’s been switched. This item is a fake!”
“I come from a family of jade traders,” he continued. “I can tell the authenticity of such items at a glance. I took a closer look because you seemed so sure of its value. But I’m sorry, it’s definitely a fake. If you don’t believe me, you can take it to a few other jade or antique shops.”
Zhang Mei’s face turned beet red with embarrassment. She clumsily took back the pendant and hurriedly left the shop. As she left, she felt as if everyone around her was laughing at her for trying to pass off a fake jade pendant as a family heirloom.
But how could the pendant have been switched? She had kept it with her all these days, and apart from her and her husband Gu Shan, there was no one else at home. The only possibility was that the pendant had been a fake from the start.
Damn it, her brother had given her a fake jade pendant while asking her for a favor. That was too much!
Holding the fake jade pendant, Zhang Mei hailed a taxi. Upon arrival, she stormed into the military compound. She couldn’t let this matter rest. She had to involve Gu Shan and confront her family. She needed to know if they still recognized her as family!
But to her surprise, before she even reached her front door, she heard a commotion coming from her house. Among the voices, she recognized her brother’s.
“Gu Shan, you have to give us an explanation,” he was saying. “Your family has accepted so many gifts from us—red envelopes, gift boxes—but the matter has been handled so poorly. My two grandsons have withdrawn from their original schools, but the places you promised are not available. Either return all the gifts we gave you so I can find new schools for my grandsons, or find your adopted daughter and sort out the school slots. You must give us an answer today, or my family and I will move into your house!”
Hearing her brother’s words, Zhang Mei, already furious, was now ready to explode. She stormed into her house and confronted her brother. “Brother, what you’re saying is completely unfair. My husband did promise to help, but when asking for favors, there’s never a guarantee of success.
“As for your grandsons, you withdrew them from school so early without leaving any room for error. How can you blame us for that? I think it’s a good thing that this didn’t work out. Now, let’s talk about this jade pendant. My dear brother, this was the most valuable gift you gave, right?”
Zhang Mei, being a woman, had always been a quiet presence in the family. Today, however, she dared to confront her family. Both Zhang Mei’s brother and Gu Shan were stunned, and the others stopped arguing, turning their attention to Zhang Mei.