Transmigrating As a Poor Fake Heiress with Trillions in Family Asset - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Death-Seeking Cousin (Part 1)

Sang Jing and Zuo Wei were discussing the year’s harvest with the fruit farmers. Sang Jing was even planning to have Zuo Wei order takeout for them so they could have a decent lunch.

Suddenly, an uninvited guest arrived.

The first thing to come into view was a pair of five-figure high heels; their shimmering surface was the kind that could easily make a woman’s heart skip a beat.

Sang Jing’s gaze, however, remained cold.

Sang Jing, who had been crouching beside the farmers, looked up to see a woman with a face full of arrogance. She was clutching the arm of a man dressed in a sharp suit, looking down her nose at Sang Jing.

“Cousin, can you actually stomach this fruit? Didn’t you used to refuse anything that wasn’t imported?”

Before Sang Jing could speak, the farmers beside her took offense. Their living conditions certainly couldn’t compare to those of a wealthy socialite, and their quality of life might seem meager to her, but how could she say the fruit they worked so hard to grow was inedible?

“Miss, our fruit is very sweet! It’s not inferior to imported fruit at all!” one farmer protested.

The woman rolled her eyes. “Is it your turn to speak?”

Sang Jing stood up. Even with the other woman in heels, Sang Jing was half a head taller. She had a deep impression of this person from the original host’s memory. This was Zeng Pan, Sang Jing’s cousin.

Zeng Pan and the original Sang Jing had a long-standing grudge. Her family wasn’t as wealthy as the An family, and she had always been jealous of Sang Jing’s money, beauty, and lavish lifestyle. When Sang Jing was kicked out of the An house, Zeng Pan had secretly rejoiced, thinking Sang Jing would never look down on her again.

Yet, to her frustration, even though Sang Jing had left the An family, that overbearing, regal aura remained.

Sang Jing let out a cold snort and laughed. “And who do you think has a ‘turn’ to speak here? Did you buy this land? Does the air belong to you? Do people not even have the right to speak? Did you just transmigrate here from a feudal society? If you’re stupid, don’t go around hanging these moronic statements on your lips for everyone to see. It makes it too obvious that something is wrong with your brain.”

Zeng Pan felt that Sang Jing’s cold, indifferent gaze was even more infuriating than her previous arrogant mockery. Why did this girl, who was now a “pauper,” feel she had the right to call her a moron?

Zeng Pan took a deep breath, telling herself not to bicker. She needed to strike where it hurt.

“What’s the use of being sharp-tongued? Does talking toxic make your pockets deeper? When I think about how you used to be so picky about imported fruit, and now you’re buying cheap goods at a peasant market, I know you’re just putting on a brave face!”

Zeng Pan became more convinced of her own theory: Sang Jing was acting cold to hide her wretched state. She remembered how Sang Jing used to look down on her boyfriend, claiming she was the future Young Mistress of the Yan family, while Zeng Pan was just a “pheasant” who found a “director” from the mountains.

The sneer on Zeng Pan’s face grew more sarcastic. “Where is your fiancé? Does Young Master Yan know how you’re living now? Hah! Young Master Yan probably doesn’t even want to see your unlucky face.”

She leaned her head on her boyfriend’s shoulder, smiling triumphantly. “Oh, I have good news to share. My boyfriend got promoted again. He’s a Deputy Bureau Chief now.”

Zeng Pan’s boyfriend, Xiao Lin, had also been mocked by Sang Jing in the past. He was a “gold phoenix” who had flown out of a mountain ravine, rising to his position through a mix of personal ability and his girlfriend’s family background. He was proud of his achievements, but Sang Jing had always called him “poor and sour” and said his family was a burden.

Now that Sang Jing was a “real” pauper—and despite her new shopping app looking successful, many rumored it would collapse due to the heavy subsidies—Xiao Lin felt he could finally hold his head high.

He looked around and said to Sang Jing, “I remember that setting up stalls here is prohibited. By supporting these vendors in an illegal area, you are obstructing public order and encouraging violations. This kind of behavior requires ‘education’ at the station.”

He pulled out his phone and began calling the relevant department. “Why is there no regulation at the South Suburb Market today? Small vendors have set up stalls outside the market; this greatly affects our city’s image.”

From his expression, it was clear the person on the other end was flattering him and promising to send someone immediately.

The farmers panicked. “No! We aren’t violating anything! We asked, and they said we could set up here!”

“This is within the regulated area, it’s just out of the way, so the business is bad. But it is legal!”

“Please don’t drive us away! We haven’t sold much today! We haven’t even made enough for the bus fare!”

Sang Jing gave Zuo Wei a look, signaling her to comfort the farmers. Then, she turned to the man who had just hung up.

“I wonder if you can bear the consequences of abusing your power.”

“Heh, what consequences? How is this an abuse of power? I think this place is unsuitable for stalls and affects the city’s image. Is there a problem?” He thought to himself that even if it was technically legal, one word from him would make his subordinates change the rules.

Zeng Pan felt her boyfriend had truly avenged her. “So, take your group of paupers and get lost. If they really come to lock you up, let’s see if you can find anyone to bail you out.”

At that moment, the sound of a puppy whimpering came from nearby. The three of them turned to see Kou Yan. He was wearing a suit and shirt but no tie, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a leash attached to a small Husky.

The Husky’s whimpering failed to draw attention because the rolling anger and icy expression on Kou Yan’s face immediately froze the scene. Zeng Pan and Xiao Lin instinctively took a step back.

“President Kou! Why are you walking your dog here? It’s dirty and messy; don’t let the little paws get dirty!” Zeng Pan immediately forced a fawning smile.

Her boyfriend struck a pose as if ready for a handshake. “There’s a park not far from here with a much better environment. If you can’t find it, President Kou, we can lead you there.”

Kou Yan walked over slowly, his voice freezing. “I came here to find Sang Jing.”

Zeng Pan and her boyfriend turned pale. If Kou Yan was here for Sang Jing, the implications were massive. If he backed her, they were dead. The Zeng family could never afford to offend Kou Yan.

Kou Yan looked at Sang Jing. Although his face was still stern, his tone softened slightly. “Do you need help?”

He had overheard enough to know Sang Jing was being bullied.

Sang Jing shook her head, looking calm. “He just said he could bear the consequences of abusing his power. I want to see if he can stay that tough in a moment.”

Kou Yan was surprised. “You can handle it yourself?”

Sang Jing nodded and checked the time. “They should be here soon.”

Zuo Wei whispered from behind her, “I just contacted Assistant Chen. They’ve arrived at the parking lot and are coming over now.”

Zeng Pan couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She and her boyfriend shared a smirk, thinking that Sang Jing, who had been relegated to the slums, couldn’t possibly have any real connections left.

She’s so blind as to refuse Kou Yan’s help? If President Kou has an episode later, can she handle it? He could ruin her little company with a flick of his finger!

Just then, a deep, authoritative voice of a middle-aged man came from the direction Kou Yan had appeared.

“President Sang, sorry to keep you waiting!”

Sang Jing turned to the man and smiled. “Director Wang, I’m the one who troubled you to make the trip. Thank you for your hard work.”

Director Wang walked over with his hands behind his back. “Not at all. I didn’t have much work this afternoon anyway. After hearing about these farmers from you, I felt I should come. We can’t let their business be delayed.”

He then looked at the others. He greeted Kou Yan briefly but didn’t say much. Finally, his gaze landed on Zeng Pan and her boyfriend.

“Xiao Lin? Why are you here?” Director Wang looked surprised. “Weren’t you supposed to be presiding over a task this afternoon?”

Sweat immediately began to pour down Xiao Lin’s face. “There was a small matter here, I just stopped by to handle it. I’ll be back soon.”

Zeng Pan’s face went even whiter. She realized this man was her boyfriend’s superior. And from the Director’s attitude toward Sang Jing, they clearly had a friendly relationship.

Sang Jing was just kicked out of the An family—how does she have connections with a Director?

Before Sang Jing could say a word, the farmers—who had read the situation—began to complain all at once.

“Director! Is this man your subordinate? He was very rude to our Little President Sang just now!”

Director Wang’s face instantly darkened.

Jing-Selection’s “Support Agriculture” proposal was not only beneficial to farmers but would also be a major achievement on his own record if it went well. His subordinate was actually here giving Sang Jing a hard time?

Xiao Lin’s face was ashen. Just as he was about to explain, the farmers didn’t give him the chance.

“Yes! He said we couldn’t set up stalls here. But we asked the city management this morning, and they said we could! It’s within the market limits!”

“That’s right! He not only wanted to kick us out but said he’d find someone to arrest Little President Sang!”

“I understood what he meant! Even if it’s legal now, he said as long as he says it’s illegal, the city management will change the rules immediately!”

“Director, you seem so approachable. Why is your subordinate so overbearing and arrogant?”

Director Wang had been in a good mood, coming here to learn more about the farmers’ situations to plan the event. He never expected his subordinate to give Sang Jing and the farmers a “show of strength” before he arrived. What a big ego!

His voice dropped, becoming serious and stern. His eyes pierced Xiao Lin like knives. “Since you aren’t doing your actual job and are instead here oppressing the people and abusing your power, I don’t think you are suitable for your current position, nor are you suitable for our bureau.”

“No, Director Wang! This is all a misunderstanding!”

Xiao Lin looked at the Director, then at Kou Yan, and finally at Sang Jing. He frantically grabbed his girlfriend’s arm!

“Quick! Beg your cousin! We were just joking with her, we didn’t mean it!” he hissed in panic.

Zeng Pan couldn’t bring herself to beg her cousin, but she really liked this boyfriend, and her family had invested a lot to get him into his current position. Finally, she forced a smile. “Cousin, I was just playing around. Please, be the bigger person and don’t take it to heart.”

Sang Jing was no saint. She looked at them coldly. “I told you before: if you do something, you must bear the consequences. You brought this on yourselves.”

She turned to Director Wang. “You mentioned finding a Deputy Director to follow this project. If that Deputy Director were to be this Mr. Lin, I don’t think it would be appropriate. If he can’t give these farmers basic respect, how can he respect their hard work or seek benefits for them?”

Director Wang agreed. He waved a hand at his secretary. “Have the bureau prepare the dismissal papers for Xiao Lin.”

After that, Sang Jing, Kou Yan, and Director Wang didn’t give Zeng Pan another glance. They walked straight to the farmers to discuss the event details.

Zuo Wei looked back at the pair once, her admiration for Sang Jing deepening. She had definitely followed the right person!

As for the farmers, their trust in Sang Jing—and their admiration for her—had reached a new peak. When that man threatened to take them away, they were ready to beg for mercy. They never imagined that the person Sang Jing brought to talk about fruit promotions was that man’s boss!