401 Dropping All Pretenses

Xia Zhe brought over a stool and placed it opposite all the men from the Xia family. Qiao Mei sat down slowly as all the men looked on solemnly.

Qiao Mei smiled innocently and said, "Everyone, don't be so nervous."

Seeing that Qiao Mei had not been frightened by the ordeal, they all felt a sense of relief.

Xia Wen blurted out, "It scared me half to death! I almost wanted to ask the security guards to rush over!"

After learning about the situation at home, he rushed back to his own house to get all his savings, which amounted to 500 dollars. He was about to go to the school to try and get an advance of a few months' salary when the phone rang. When he realized it was He Ning calling, he broke out in a cold sweat.

"He Ning told me that he had come to look for you. He said that since you still had some ginseng, he decided to come and talk to you personally. Then he said we should all go home now, and I was so frightened that my legs went weak," Xia Wen said as he wiped the thin layer of sweat on his head.

The fact that there was another 100-year-old ginseng was not scary at all. The most terrifying thing was that Qiao Mei was alone at home, and He Ning had simply swaggered over to look for her.

Who knew what that lunatic He Ning could say or do to Qiao Mei.

If he threatened or intimidated Qiao Mei, it would at most cause her some mental stress. However, if he really wanted to hurt her, she would probably not be able to get out of it alive.

When everyone received He Ning's call, they quickly put down what they were doing and rushed home. Qiao Mei's safety was more important to them than the money.

They knew that He Ning was not crazy enough to hurt Qiao Mei directly as he still needed to negotiate with her. If anything should happen to her, he would not be able to get what he wanted.

Along the way, Xia Zhe felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife. All he could think of was the worst-case scenario, and even though he kept telling himself that nothing bad would happen, he could not calm down at all. Now that he could see that Qiao Mei was fine, he heaved a big sigh of relief.

Xia Zhe held on to Qiao Mei's hand tightly and did not dare to let go for a moment. No one minded his action.

"Do you still have another 100-year-old ginseng?" Xia Mao asked.

"No, I don't. I was just pretending. However, I don't know if my grandfather managed to dig up any new ones after I left home," Qiao Mei replied.

"Then did you agree to sell other ginseng to him?" Xia Wen asked.

"What are all these questions that you are asking? Xiao Mei, tell us everything that happened from the beginning to the end," Xia Jun said to Qiao Mei.

Qiao Mei nodded and told them in detail about how He Ning came by and what he said. She also recounted her conversation with He Ning word for word.

After she finished, the entire living room was very quiet. The Qiao Mei who was sitting in front of them now did not seem to be the Qiao Mei they knew.

Qiao Mei had also planned to lay her cards on the table with the Xia family and drop all her pretenses. To gain the recognition of the family, she must make them recognize her value and ability. Only then would they respect her.

Everyone in the Xia family felt as if they were getting to know Qiao Mei all over again.

Qiao Mei did not do anything stunning today, but she was calm, brave and clear-headed enough that He Ning was unable to take advantage of her. She even took back control of the situation and put it into the hands of the Xia family. It was really not an easy thing to do for an 18-year-old girl who had grown up in the mountain village.

Such knowledge and composure were rare traits even among the daughters of other wealthy families in the capital.

He Ning was someone who had spent many years in the world of politics and had taken down many people. Many people had fallen easily in He Ning's traps and were tricked into giving up their wealth, and even their lives.

However, not only did Qiao Mei not get tricked by He Ning, but she even took control of the situation and made He Ning agree to her arrangements. This was not just about being clear-headed anymore. Among the younger generation of the Xia family, only Xia Zhe and Xia Wen were able to do this. Even Xia He did not have that level of tenacity.

Moreover, Qiao Mei put the Xia family first in everything and wanted to respect the Xia family's wishes regarding the matter of the ginseng. This gesture was a pleasant surprise for them.

It was not as if Qiao Mei did not know the value of a 100-year-old ginseng. Before she came to the capital, she might not have known that it was that valuable, but after exchanging one for the Cao family's part of the house, she should have fully understood it by now.

He Ning had made a very tempting offer to her. As long as it was something she wanted, there was nothing that He Ning could not do. Usually, no one would be able to resist this kind of temptation.

However, Qiao Mei had remained unmoved.