The members of the Jin branch families called Grandma Li and Huang Yuyan on the phone, even though it was already extremely late at night. They asked if the matriarch and the old madam knew that the family head was engaged to Iris Long.
Both Grandma Li and Huang Yuyan were displeased of being awakened from their sleep in the middle of the night. After the two confirmed that they knew about Jin Liwei and Iris Long’s relationship, the branch families expressed their unhappiness. They even declared that they found the engagement unacceptable.
“Who are you to dictate my grandson’s life?” Grandma Li retorted in a deliberately snooty manner. She was furious at their complaints. “My grandson is the family head. How dare you try to control his life?!”
Similarly, Huang Yuyan was also angered at all the complaints. However, she had a weaker disposition compared to her mother-in-law, so all she could do was assure everyone that she accepted Iris Long as her eldest son’s fiancée. When the complaints became too much, she turned off her phone and used a maid’s phone instead to call Grandma Li for advice on what to do. Grandma Li was currently at her mountain estate.
“I’ll fly back there to the old house first thing in the morning,” Grandma Li told Huang Yuyan. Then she sniffed in cold derision. “They’re just the branch families. Do they really think that they could control my grandson, the head of the family and Jin Corporation? Preposterous! If my husband was alive, he would be decisive and cut them off immediately. The Jin family only needs loyal people. If they can’t support their own head’s choices, then they don’t deserve to remain members of our family!”
“But Mother…many of them are members of Jin Corporation’s board of directors…” Huang Yuyan said.
“Hmph! So what?! If I need to, I’ll forcefully buy all of the assets they own in the company! Let’s see if they can still flap their mouths against my grandson! I’m still the matriarch of the family and my husband was one of the founders of Jin Corporation. I have my own wealth! And if I still don’t have enough, I’ll just take a loan from that old gorilla. Brother Jianhong adores Xiulan. I’m sure it’ll also anger him once he learns about what these branch families are saying about our favourite granddaughter.”
Huang Yuyan felt comforted after hearing Grandma Li’s words. Her earlier panic slowly disappeared, replaced by calmness and determination instead.
“Mother, I don’t think you need to buy their assets,” she told Grandma Li. “My eldest son is a great leader. I’m sure that he can solve this situation better than us. Let’s trust in him. And besides, Xiulan is not defenceless either. Let’s not forget that she’s Uncle Jianhong’s student, not to mention that she’s also enrolled at Cross Academy. All of these alone already make her more than qualified to be our family’s next Madam. In fact, I don’t think our family deserves someone as special as her.”
Grandma Li made a sound of agreement. “Good thing you reminded me. I almost forgot that she’s that old gorilla’s disciple and a Cross Academy student. Yes, our Jin family is lucky to have her as the next Madam. Those branch families need to keep their priorities straight, or they’ll eat their own words in the future.”
“Just like his grandfather. That’s why I’ll support him in whatever his decision is in handling the branch families. If he punishes them, then it only means that they deserve it. As the leader, he should rule the family with an iron fist like his grandfather and his father before him, or else the relatives will take advantage of him and of Jin Corporation. It was because of my husband’s hard work that the entire Jin family reached our status now, anyway. During the early days, did they help my husband? No! It was only because of my husband’s kindness and sense of responsibility that he shared the blessings to his relatives.
“And now they think that they have the right to dictate my grandson’s choice of wife? How foolish! We, the main family, make our own decisions. The branch families don’t have the right to interfere with our choices! All of us from the main family already accepted Xiulan and can’t wait for her to marry Liwei. What right do those branch families have to question us?” Grandma Li ranted.
Although she said all of these, the truth was that if Iris Long weren’t a student of Lu Jianhong and Cross Academy, she would’ve also been against Iris’ relationship with her grandson. Just based on Iris’ bad reputation before and the fact that she actively worked in showbiz, both Grandma Li and Huang Yuyan would have automatically deemed her unsuitable to marry Jin Liwei who was the head of the family and Jin Corporation. Even Jin Chonglin had a hard time making them accept his decision to enter showbiz instead of working for Jin Corporation back then.
Even if they denied it, Grandma Li and Huang Yuyan had snobbish attitudes ingrained in them due to their status as wives of past Jin family heads. It was fortunate that Iris was connected to Grandpa Lu and Cross Academy, making them accept her as soon as they met her. Basically, they weren’t all that different to the branch families at all. It was just that they knew about Iris’ status as a certified genius and her connectionto the legendary school, Cross Academy.
After her tirade, Grandma Li calmed down.
“No matter what happens, let’s just support Liwei and Xiulan,” she said.
“Yes, Mother,” Huang Yuyan replied.
“I want Xiulan to become my granddaughter-in-law no matter what. If those branch families dare to stop my grandson from marrying her, I’ll encourage Liwei to disown them,” Grandma Li said in a domineering tone.
With that, the two Jin Madams banded together to defend Iris and Jin Liwei’s relationship against the Jin relatives.
