Chapter 703: The Jade Pendant Is Fake


    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    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 ss assignments this morning. The process waspleted 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 eximed. “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 rification.


    However, once the car started, Zhang Mei’s brother changed direction, heading towards the militarypound. He remembered that Gu Zi’s residence wasn’t a ce 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 exnation, 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 ept 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 unbing for a battalionmander’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.<div>


    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 ss. The more he looked, the harder it was for him to suppress hisughter. He teased, “Madam, if this is your family heirloom, I’m afraid it’s been switched. This item is a fake!”


    “Ie from a family of jade traders,” he continued. “I can tell the authenticity of such items at a nce. 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 wasughing 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 militarypound. 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 amotioning from her house. Among the voices, she recognized her brother’s.


    “Gu Shan, you have to give us an exnation,” he was saying. “Your family has epted 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 ces you promised are not avable. 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 ispletely unfair. My husband did promise to help, but when asking for favors, there’s never a guarantee of sess.


    “As for your grandsons, you withdrew them from school so early without leaving any room for error. How can you me 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.