Chapter 29: Lu Kuan Settles Family Matters

Mei Deming stammered, "Mom... otherwise..."

Qin Meijin shed her previous frail, elderly fatigue, stood on tiptoe, and slapped her second son: "You foul-hearted thing! Who raised you to be this big! You’re actually plotting against your own mother!"

She then turned to Lu Kuan, spitting as she spoke: "Playing god and acting like a ghost! You say it’s so, so it must be? Who knows if you’re a swindler!"

She acted like a non-believer who asks not of ghosts or gods but of the heavens, forgetting who it was that had just asked a little immortal to tell her fortune.

How could the two brothers let go of this straw of hope? This Lu Kuan had first pointed out the younger sister’s cancer, and then accurately identified the early symptoms they were both experiencing.

If they weren't begging him to perform his arts, they would have already run to the hospital for a deep examination.

Mei Qiming supported his mother and smiled ingratiatingly: "Mom, just like you said, what he says isn't necessarily accurate anyway. Maybe he is a swindler, so just let him try."

"Smack!" Qin Meijin, treating them equally, gave her eldest son a heavy slap as well, so furious her face turned deathly pale and she couldn't speak.

Wang Minhui could barely hold back her laughter; Mei Yanfang’s cheap brother was too cunning. With one move of shifting the stars, he had diverted the conflict, causing the three beastly mother and sons to turn on each other.

Mei Yanfang had recovered by now, thinking that today she owed much to little Lu; otherwise, with her own illness and Wang Minhui, it would have been hard to fend them off.

Qin Meijin scolded: "That Daoist, tell us about the expensive one. Isn't it just money? Our Mei has plenty of money!"

"Oh, ten million for each of you three. I will find a suffering soul willing to accept the baleful fate, and then pass on a Daoist technique for self-cultivation to you."

"You must abstain from smoking, drinking, and gambling, practice diligently, open your meridians and Qi channels, and keep your body and mind in a gentle, smooth, and lively state to extend your lives."

"It’s just that such people are not easy to find; their birth dates and facial features must correspond to yours. Why else would I say Ms. Qin is the most suitable..."

"Stop, don't say any more! That’s it! Mei, give him the money!" Qin Meijin’s eyelids twitched, worried that her two good-for-nothing sons would latch onto her again.

Lu Kuan, with his back to the three of them, shook his fingers lightly.

Wang Minhui took the hint: "Mrs. Mei, Mei Yanfang still needs to recuperate and treat her illness, and her work will have to stop. We can't come up with thirty million all at once, this..."

The two brothers were about to explode. They had already settled for the next best thing, spending time to resolve their own baleful fate; was Mei Yanfang trying to shirk her responsibility and wash her hands of it?

"Little sister! You were raised by your big brothers since you were small. How can you ignore our lives now that you’ve made it big!"

"Right! If you do this, I’ll jump off right here today. Even if I die, I’ll die in your house!"

Lu Kuan watched coldly as the two shameless middle-aged men trembled with rage. He really wanted to beat them up; if he didn't beat the crap out of them, it would be a miracle.

"The three of you wait here," Lu Kuan instructed. "Ms. Wang, please help Mei Yanfang to the room. She is agitated and her heart is affected; I will give her a massage to clear her meridians."

"Alright, Mr. Lu, please this way."

The two brothers started pestering their mother again. It wasn't that they felt bad for Mei Yanfang over the thirty million; because if Mei Yanfang died, that thirty million would be their inheritance. They were heartbroken over their own money...

Mei Yanfang leaned against the bedside and sighed deeply: "Little Lu, only today do you know how wretched my life has been since childhood, right? My elder sister died of depression just like this..."

Lu Kuan smiled: "If you don't speak of human affairs to others, then you are a person without human affairs. Sister, you must keep your heart broad."

Wang Minhui’s eyes sparkled. She had watched him toy with the three of them the whole time, showing both wit and strategy, and now he was patiently counseling Mei Yanfang.

Just like the characters in books, standing like a jade tree in the wind, smiling like the bright moon entering one's embrace...

"Minhui! Minhui!"

"Ah?" She came back to her senses. Mei Yanfang and Lu Kuan were both looking at her strangely. She blushed: "Sorry, Mei Yanfang, I just zoned out. What did you say?"

"Little Lu made a suggestion, see if it works for you."

"The three of them are only after money. This time, we will change the way we provide support in the name of planting a 'Life Foundation' for them."

"I suggest Mei Yanfang set up a trust fund at HSBC International, giving Mrs. Mei and the two brothers a monthly living allowance, with a portion left for the nieces and nephews for key milestones like schooling and marriage."

"Every year, we pay their medical check-up and treatment fees directly to the hospital. Don't worry about anything else; otherwise, since the three of them are addicted to gambling, no matter how much money Mei Yanfang earns, it won't be enough."

Wang Minhui nodded repeatedly as she listened. This was a good method. If they didn't settle this while the three were unsettled, there would be endless trouble later.

Mei Yanfang also said with relief: "That’s fine. Minhui, help me take 30 million to register a trust to pay them on time every month. Once they pass away, donate the rest to charity."

"Yes, Mei Yanfang."

Wang Minhui suddenly remembered something else: "Mei Yanfang, the accounts for Mrs. Mei’s 'Chinese-Western Medical Anti-Cancer Foundation' are unclear. Don't put any more money into it; reporters are already watching."

This was an anti-cancer foundation Qin Meijin had set up in her daughter’s name, using the guise of charity to funnel money from her left hand to her right. The outside world didn't know, and it had caused great damage to Mei Yanfang’s reputation.

Lu Kuan said with concern: "Sister, you can put down your work now. You can go abroad for treatment, or come to Beiping. Just stay away from your family and the flashbulbs."

"I’m fine, don't worry. Your sister has been on stage as a singer since she was four and a half; what storms haven't I weathered?"

Mei Yanfang patted Lu Kuan’s hand with relief. It was heartwarming to meet him; he had discovered her illness early and helped her find a way to get rid of her vampire family.

Wang Minhui tucked her hair behind her ear: "Mr. Lu, let’s exchange numbers. If you need anything in the future, you can contact me directly."

"Oh, alright." Lu Kuan accepted graciously.

Mei Yanfang held a very high status in the Xiangjiang circle. Many juniors started their careers under her guidance, calling themselves the Mei Troupe.

A seventh-rank official at the prime minister’s gate; as her manager, Wang Minhui was also very capable in the Hong Kong entertainment circle.

And because of her beautiful and exquisite face and gentle, virtuous demeanor, she had no shortage of celebrity suitors.

For example, Chen Guanxi, Xie Tingfeng...

The famous hit-and-run case of later generations was caused by Wang Fei taking her anger out on the scandal between Xie Tingfeng and Wang Minhui, leading to the latter chasing them in a car and causing the accident.

She could be considered a femme fatale, and the kind with a brain.

Lu Kuan accompanied Mei Yanfang in Xiangjiang for two days. She would soon enter the treatment process. Because the lesion was discovered early, her wealth and the medical standards of Xiangjiang would save her much suffering.

On January 12, 2002, Wang Minhui, entrusted by the hospitalized Mei Yanfang, personally drove Lu Kuan to Kai Tak Airport, where he embarked on his journey back to the capital.

(End of chapter)