The idea from Aunt surprised everyone including Hu Lijuan and her siblings. They knew Aunt always had many ideas, but didn’t expect such a twisted one to come so easily. No wonder Grandma was always too angry to speak because of her.
Grandma always acted straightforwardly, not skilled in these tricks, while Aunt enjoyed indulging in them.
It must be said that mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are natural enemies.
"Aunt’s idea is good; we’ll consider it and see what Dad says. If it doesn’t work, we’ll follow Aunt’s suggestion. Aunt, you have to help us at that time," Hu Dong cunningly remarked, thinking the idea was feasible.
That’s just how his grandma is.
Praised by several youngsters, Zhang Huilan felt elated instantly. Happily, she prepared lunch with Shen Qing for everyone.
Lin Wan raised her eyebrows, seemingly understanding Aunt’s temperament more. Aunt wasn’t all bad.
Just when everyone was anxious, Hu Bin came with some canned snacks, looking disheveled.
Lin Wan immediately discerned that he hadn’t negotiated well with the family.
"The residents’ committee visited, but my mom would rather die than agree, almost committed suicide in front of all those people. Who knows where she got a sharp knife?" Hu Bin helplessly explained.
"Did anyone get hurt?" Han Ying lifted her eyelids, knowing the old woman would act this way. Many years passed, yet she was still using the same old tricks, never finding them tiresome.
"Let me ask you, if you split from the family, what will you get?" Han Ying calmly questioned.
"..." Hu Bin and Shen Qing were stunned, exchanging glances before looking at Han Ying.
Honestly, they hadn’t considered it, but now thinking about it, apart from Shen Qing’s dowry, they probably wouldn’t get a house from Mom. Moreover, Shen Qing’s dowry had been so old after all these years. The money they saved was just a few hundred yuan from retrieving the salary booklet. No house, and if they got tough, Mom wouldn’t let them take those clothes either.
The couple grew increasingly afraid, realizing they were just paupers despite their age.
"If there’s nothing to gain, why worry about their consent? If worse comes to worst, you can rent a house. It’s better than living in that family. Wait until Uncle Hu allocates houses, then move in," Lin Wan proposed. "Who cares about that house? Even if we split from the family, Grandma wouldn’t give us that house," Hu Dong said, standing at the door.
"Yes, Grandma won’t give us the house. She said it’s kept for Big Cousin," Hu Lijuan frowned.
Lin Wan laughed, "No house, no money, why bother fighting for their consent? Just pack your clothes and move out!"
As soon as Lin Wan spoke, the siblings’ eyes lit up. Hu Dong slapped his forehead and laughed, stepping in with excitement, "Yes, we’ve been silly. Now we’re out with Mom. Tomorrow I’ll search for a house. Though hard to find, there are always ones for rent. A bit farther doesn’t matter; we’ll rent a cheap one."
"Yeah, yeah," the siblings excitedly settled the matter.
Hu Bin pulled Shen Qing’s hand to discuss. Shen Qing felt uneasy but didn’t oppose it. This time, neither of them opposed.
"This time the kids did right. You hesitated for years, never took a strong stance once. No money, no house, what’s there to fear? You still have jobs, money is earned slowly by people. I wonder what’s wrong with your brains," Han Ying remarked, exasperated and feeling an iron resistance, nearly having a stomach ache. "Daughter can’t stand up, son-in-law has a muddled brain."