Chapter 1018 — The Kang Family's Attitude Toward the Xiao Family

"Oh? Not bad!" On hearing Kang Jinglong's words, Divine Doctor Kang could not help but laugh aloud. "Hahaha! Zhaolong speaks the truth. The Xiao family has fallen on hard times, and we must make certain they fall even harder! Only once they have fallen further still will we have our chance! Good! Good! Good! A truly excellent idea!"

"Grandfather flatters me!" Kang Jinglong smiled faintly and replied with modesty.

Kang Cuipu knitted his brows. What sort of sense was there in his words? If Kang Jinglong had not been gracious enough to save him face by saying so on purpose, he himself knew full well that his words were pure nonsense. Still, his mind was not on such matters, and he had no gift for strategy in any case.

"What about Zhaoming? Tell us, what should be done?" Divine Doctor Kang turned his gaze to Kang Jingming.

"Grandfather, in truth, what Elder Brother said has some reason to it, but I do not think it is entirely so." Kang Jingming felt that since the old man had lost face, it fell to the son to win it back for him; and he also wished to make a good impression on his grandfather. That was why he had racked his brains for a long while before venturing to say these words.

"Oh? Tell us, then, how is it not entirely so?" Divine Doctor Kang still set considerable store by Kang Jingming's words. For all that Kang Jingming was a profligate wastrel, he was still far better than his father, Kang Cuipu.

"Grandfather, as the saying goes, even a salted fish has its day to turn over!" Kang Jingming said. "The Xiao family may have fallen on hard times now, but they are a great clan after all, and they command connections beyond anything we know. If they truly were to rise again, who can say how things might go?"

"Rise again?" Divine Doctor Kang shook his head. In his view, how could the Xiao family possibly rise again? Their house broken and their people scattered was more like it. Yet Kang Jingming had lately won many merits for the family, so Divine Doctor Kang could hardly rebuke him. He merely went on to ask, "Then in your view, what should be done?"

"I think the marriage alliance with the Xiao family cannot be broken, but it should not be with Elder Brother!" Here Kang Jingming gave a somewhat embarrassed cackle. "Elder Brother's betrothal could be shifted onto me! I shall reluctantly take that pretty girl of the Xiao family off their hands. After all, I am the wastrel of the Kang family. If the Xiao family falls, I simply kick her out, and it makes no difference to us, because I am a profligate son who does nothing but play with women, and if I cast her off, no one can say a word against us. But Elder Brother could never do such a thing! And if they do not fall, then we still keep the connection!"

Divine Doctor Kang listened to Kang Jingming's words and fell into thought. But Kang Jinglong only laughed heartily and, looking at Kang Jingming, said, "Little Brother, have you taken a fancy to Wang Xinyan? There are pretty girls everywhere. Be that as it may, she is your elder brother's wife; such thoughts of yours are not good!"

Kang Jingming did indeed harbor selfish motives, so being exposed thus, he flushed at once. Yet he stubbornly argued on, "I am only doing this for the good of the Kang family!"

"Let us do as Zhaolong says." Hearing Kang Jinglong's words, Divine Doctor Kang said no more about Kang Jingming's opinion and merely remarked, "Zhaoming, Zhaolong is right. One who does great things should not care so much about women."

"Yes... Grandfather..." Kang Jingming was somewhat resentful. In truth, that was indeed how he felt; and as for the chance to get Wang Xinyan, though selfish motives were involved, what if the Xiao family were not stripped of their great-clan title after all?

After all, the Yu family had also suffered losses recently. If at the great clan assembly the Yu family were so badly weakened that they kept a low profile and let the Xiao family off for the time being, or if, sharing the same enemies as the Xiao family, they came to feel a kinship of shared fate, then the Xiao family would still have value to exploit!

But Kang Jingming knew that nothing he said now would be of any use. He could only let his grandfather believe that he simply wanted to bed and toy with Wang Xinyan; and, of course, that was indeed what he wanted.

Now that the Kang family had settled on how to deal with the Xiao family, there was no longer any need to be evasive.

Kang Guifeng went straight out of the Kang family villa and walked toward the Xiao brothers.

Xiao Ji and Xiao Ben had waited a long while at the gate of the Kang family villa. They had already sent someone in to announce them, yet after waiting half an hour, no one from the Kang family had come out, and they could not help growing fretful.

"Second Brother, do you think the Kang family might refuse to see us? Damn it, what snobs they are! When the Xiao family was at its height, they scrambled to ingratiate themselves with us, but the moment we run into a bit of trouble, this is how they treat us!" Xiao Ji had a coarse temper, and having waited until his patience ran out, he began to curse and carry on. "How long has it been now? Half an hour, isn't it? And still no one has come out? What the hell is the Kang family playing at?"

"..." Xiao Ben looked at his furious elder brother and gave a faint sigh. "Elder Brother, be patient a little! Is it merely 'a bit of trouble' the Xiao family has run into now? Uncle Pi has become a vegetable, the one support our family had is gone, and we still owe that brat Wei Zhao a mountain of debt. We are tangled in troubles now, so it is only natural that the Kang family does not wish to see us!"

"Natural? I call it shameless snobbery!" Xiao Ji snorted. "What sort of people are they?"

"Elder Brother, someone is coming! Stop shouting!" Xiao Ben had sharp eyes, and seeing the villa's gate stir, he hurriedly checked Xiao Ji from cursing any further, lest they give offense.

Hearing that someone was coming, Xiao Ji promptly shut his mouth. He had only been venting his spleen to gain a cheap satisfaction from it; now that the Kang family was truly coming out, he dared not curse any longer. After all, they had come to beg a favor of these people, not the other way around.

What the Xiao brothers had not expected, however, was that the one coming out of the villa was none other than Kang Guifeng, eldest son of Divine Doctor Kang and father of Kang Jinglong, who was betrothed to Wang Xinyan! Xiao Ben's heart eased. If they would send a personage of such weight to receive the two brothers, then there was still hope after all!

At that thought, he hurried forward with a smile on his face. "Brother Kang, that you should come out to receive us in person—truly, we are unworthy of such an honor!"

Xiao Ji was taken aback as well. He had not expected Kang Guifeng to come out and greet them in person, and so the resentment in his heart dwindled considerably all at once. He hurried forward to meet him. "Brother Kang!"

"I wonder what brings the two Xiao brothers to my Kang house?" Kang Guifeng's expression, however, was none too friendly. He addressed Xiao Ji and Xiao Ben in a voice utterly cold, as though he were not in the least acquainted with them!