Tate was taken aback. Listings in this building...
There were actually some available. There were vacant apartments on the 11th, 19th, and 21st floors.
But...
Remembering what happened in the group chat yesterday, Tate sneered to himself.
Nowadays, everyone has a special kind of dislike for people who deliberately stir up trouble and backstab others, and Tate was no exception.
So, Tate put on a slightly troubled smile and replied, "Iām sorry, Miss Kane, but thereās nothing available in this building at the moment. However, there are vacancies in Building 5 next door. Shall I arrange a place for you there?"
Hearing this, Zella Kane struggled internally for a moment before finally nodding in resignation.
She turned around, shot a resentful glare at the door to 1606, then dejectedly went back to pack her bags.
Watching Zella Kaneās retreating figure, Tate silently took out his phone and sent a message to Melody Summers:
[Miss Summers, itās all taken care of. The residents of 1604 are packing their bags now. They asked me to arrange a new rental for them within the complex, and Iāve put them in Building 5.]
Melody Summers replied to Tateās message quickly, also sending him a large red envelope containing 10,000 yuan.
[Okay, got it. Thank you for helping me solve this huge problem. The money is for your trouble. I really appreciate you coming all the way over in the snow to handle this. Please accept it, and donāt even think about refusing.]
[I might need your help with other things in the future. If you donāt accept the money, Iāll feel too embarrassed to ask you for help again, so you have to take it. While you can still get around, you should go buy some food to stock up at home!]
Seeing Melody Summersās insistence, Tate didnāt refuse again and happily accepted the red envelope.
He decided he would go exchange the money for rice and cooking oil to take home, so he and his family could get through the harsh winter.
******
Melody Summers stood by the door, only relaxing after she saw Zella Kane and her family leaving with their luggage through the peephole.
Dealing with the Kanes didnāt require much effort or energy spent on arguing. Simply having them move out solved 99% of the problem.
As long as they werenāt living next door, the Kanes would know they couldnāt take advantage of the Summers family, and they would naturally turn their attention elsewhere.
Melody Summers clapped her hands together, returned to the living room, and told her family the news that the Kanes had moved out.
When Grace Sutton heard the news, her face lit up with a smile. "I canāt believe they moved out so quickly! Good riddance! Ugh, just the thought of that family living next to us made my skin crawl!"
Grace Sutton was practically developing PTSD from her sisters-in-law. She felt that the wives Caleb Summers married were each more outrageous than the last. It was one thing for the previous one, Mindy Walsh, to look down on her, but for these Kanes to be backstabbers... they were just getting more and more terrifying!
Now that they were gone, she could finally relax.
Grandma also breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, good. As long as they were willing to move, thatās what matters. At least now we donāt have to worry about them dropping by all the time..."
Miss Lowell nodded as well, saying, "The snow outside is piled up pretty high. Since they left today, itāll be hard for them to find their way back here in the future. We can rest easy now."
With the Kane family no longer lurking nearby, the atmosphere in the Summers household lightened considerably. The family was in the living room discussing what to have for lunch when the doorbell rang again.
Grace Sutton looked toward the door, her expression uneasy. "Who could that be at a time like this... Donāt tell me Caleb found out his mother-in-law was kicked out and now heās here to cause trouble..."
Grandmaās face changed drastically at her words. She shot up from her chair, her expression grim. "If that second son of mine really dares to come looking for trouble, Iāll go out there and beat him to death myself! Itās all my fault for giving birth to such a muddle-headed fool!"
As she spoke, she started walking toward the door.
Seeing this, the other three in the living room quickly got up to stop her.
Grace Sutton held onto Grandma, soothingly patting her back. "Mom, calm down," she urged. "Donāt work yourself up and make yourself sick."
Miss Lowell also chimed in, "Thatās right, donāt be rash. If someoneās really here to make a scene, we can just call the police. Donāt go out there."
Just then, a shout came from outside the door. "Mom! Big Brother! Itās me, itās Cameron! Open the door!"
Hearing that voice, everyone in the living room froze.
āThe person at the door is... my third uncle, Cameron Summers?!ā Melody Summers was stunned.
...
At that moment, three people were standing outside the door of 1606.
At the front stood the Summers familyās third son, Cameron Summers. Behind him were his wife, Jade Rowan, and their son, Clark Summers.
The three of them had traveled overnight, braving the wind and snow.
Because of the blizzard, they had taken a government disaster relief vehicle into the city, only to find that the buses had already stopped running.
The three of them walked a long way through the snow to reach The Metropolis Residences and nearly froze to death on the way.
The door to 1606 remained closed. Seeing this, Cameron Summers reached out and knocked on the door again, shouting, "Mom, itās me! Iām here with your daughter-in-law and grandson! Please open the door!"
The weather was so cold that his voice trembled, and his lips and the backs of his hands were chapped and split from the freezing temperatures.
When Jade Rowan saw that no one was opening the door, she said anxiously, "Why arenāt they opening up... The child and I are freezing to death..."
Hearing this, Cameron Summers turned and scolded her in a low voice, "Be quiet for a minute!"
Jade Rowan pouted, rubbing her numb cheeks with her hands, but said no more.
Cameron Summers turned back and continued to knock. "Mom, itās too cold out here! Iām begging you, please open the door!" His voice now held a pleading tone.
Behind him, Clark Summers also cried out, "Grandma, itās me, Clark! Please open the door, Iām so cold! Please let us in!"
He was young, and the long walk through the snow had already exhausted him. His fingers were stiff as he clutched the corner of his down jacket, his body shivering uncontrollably.
Just then, the door suddenly opened, and Grandma stepped out.
Looking at Cameron Summers and his family of three standing at the door, Grandma frowned and said in a heavy voice, "What are you doing here? Did your second brother tell you we were living here?"
When Cameron Summers saw his mother open the door, a flash of joy crossed his face.
He quickly stepped forward, his voice thick with tears. "Mom! Iāve finally found you! Have you been well all these years?"
Grandma let out a cold snort, the corner of her mouth twitching. "Of course Iāve been well without you around!" she answered indifferently. "What are you doing here? We cut ties a long time ago!"
Hearing his motherās words, the red flush on Cameron Summersās frozen cheeks slowly drained away, replaced by a pale pallor. Pain and regret flickered in his eyes.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Mom, I was wrong. I really know I was wrong! I shouldnāt have gambled back then, but Iāve changed these past few years! I came here specifically to admit my mistakes to you!"
Grandma shot him a cold glance, her heart unmoved.
She was already utterly disappointed in her son, Cameron Summers, and couldnāt bring herself to believe a single word he said.
Many years ago, Cameronās gambling addiction had led him to lose all the familyās savings. He even mortgaged the family home to his creditors, resulting in debt collectors showing up at their door and using strong-arm tactics.
After helping Cameron pay off his gambling debts one last time, Grandma was emotionally and physically exhausted. She kicked him out of the house and publicly announced that from that day forward, Cameron Summers was no longer a member of the Summers family, and they would not be responsible for any of his gambling debts.
Later, Cameron returned. He was married and had a child, and he claimed he had truly turned over a new leaf. Grandma, believing he was sincerely repentant, took his family of three back in. But unexpectedly, Cameron had picked up online gambling...
When the debt collectors came knocking again, Grandma, at the end of her rope, threw Cameron out of the house once more. This time, his wife and child chose to go with him.
Now, looking at Cameron Summersās tear-reddened eyes, Grandma shook her head and said in a heavy tone, "Thereās no need to apologize. Just go back."