"Itâs the apartment my dad got earlier this year, still a three-bedroom unit, complete with a bathroom and kitchen. Itâs just beautiful." Hu Dong was filled with thoughts about their own home.
"Isnât that great?"
"Whatâs great about it? As soon as the apartment was allocated, my dad didnât even have time to tell us before Grandma found out, secretly took the residency certificate, and rented the apartment out. My dad was afraid my mom would get angry if she found out, so he kept it from us. It was only because he saw us struggling to find a place that he told us."
"Humph, that Old Fish Woman never misses a chance for profit. As long as thereâs money involved, she wonât miss a chance to stick her nose in." Grandma knew Hu Dongâs grandma well.
"Since itâs our apartment, letâs go reclaim it tomorrow," Hu Dong pulled Lijuan along, his attitude resolute.
"Xiao Dong, how are we going to do that?" Lijuan was a bit worried.
"Kick them out, itâs our apartment."
"You canât do that, the renters donât know anything about this, theyâre innocent," Shen Qing considered more thoroughly.
"So what do we do? Thatâs the apartment my dad got for us. We canât live there. Why should we put up with this?" Hu Dong said.
"If you had the residency certificate and the rental contract, it would be fine. If the term isnât up, at worst, you can compensate them a bit."
Lin Wanâs suggestion caught the brother and sister by surprise, they exchanged a look but said no more.
Lin Wan had mostly moved the bits and pieces over the past few days, except for her large dowry, a wardrobe, and a wooden trunk.
Lin Wan went back to Momâs place that day and told them the recent situation.
"How did so many things happen? Your aunt wants her daughter-in-law to come live here. Once your mother-in-law moves out, her son will surely come over. Will you let him stay overnight? If you do, youâll have to squeeze with the elders. Thereâs no way the elders will switch rooms. Youâll feel comfortable with them sleeping in your room?" Liang Hongmei was dissatisfied with how the Shen Family handled things.
Lin Wan certainly didnât feel comfortable about it. Thatâs why she wanted to move. Luckily, they had bought a house in advance; otherwise, sheâd really be stressed out when it comes to that point. Itâs not about her cousins but her cleanliness.
"Mom, Iâm going to help Xiao Wan move tomorrow. Itâs good for her to move out. Han Yiâs aunt is a handful, bringing people to the shop almost every day recently, and sometimes leaving without paying, putting it all on Xiao Wanâs tab."
"Sigh, yes, indeed it is." She knew about this too but turned a blind eye for Xiao Wanâs sake. "By the way, whatâs going to happen with Grandma after you move out?"
"I was thinking of letting Grandma live with us, but Grandma disagrees. She says it will embarrass my two uncles, and living with her grandchildren and their spouses isnât appropriate either. So Grandma said sheâd stay with Aunt."
"With two sons around, if she stayed at your place, people would gossip. This way is better. You, make sure you visit her often."
"Mom, I understood."
"Iâm not comfortable with you living alone there now. Ying Hui, maybe we should move earlier too."
"No need, Mom. Iâm not a child anymore. Your school is a bit far from there, and weâd be worried too. There are still two months left here, we can wait two more months. Itâs right next to the police station, itâs safe."
"Mom, Xiao Wan is right. This place is close to school. Xiao Wanâs place is close to my school. Iâll keep an eye on her place usually."
"Alright, I canât argue with you guys. Iâll follow your lead, just be careful in everything."
Last time, the money from selling clothes was supposed to be brought back to Mom, but it got delayed because of issues with the in-laws. Luckily, she managed to bring it over today.
When handing over 1,200 yuan to Mom, Liang Hongmei asked, puzzled, "Why are you giving Mom so much money?"
"Mom, this is the money I earned selling clothes over these days."
Liang Hongmei was surprised, "Just those few rolls of fabric can earn this much?"
Lin Wan raised her chin, glanced sideways at Mom, and held up four fingers, "Mom, itâs this amount."
"Heavens, four...four thousand?" Liang Hongmei, excited, grabbed Lin Wanâs fingers, her laugh looking a bit silly.
"Mom, I kept three thousand for myself, you donât mind that do you?" Lin Wan blinked and glanced at her brother, who was also a bit surprised.
"You little money-grubber, keep it all, keep it all, Mom doesnât want even a penny. You keep it yourself. Your brother is a man and can earn. Weâre not afraid of having no money now. Over the past two years, besides buying the house, Mom has saved almost ten thousand. Who wouldâve thought, us being outsiders here, would become ten-thousandaires. If we go back home, letâs see who would dare to bully us. Iâll use money to bury them."