Hu Yan’s eyes widened.
Was Zhang Qiulian really this bold?
Her parents-in-law lived in a three-room brick house.
The five sons’ families each lived in two-room earthen houses.
And Zhang Qiulian wanted all of them?
Had she lost her mind?
The first to jump to his feet were Chen Guangming and Lin Xiulan.
Chen Guangming was still fairly composed. He calmly explained,
“Sister-in-law, I’m just a carpenter. Normally, I make a living by farming and doing carpentry work.
“Now that my eldest brother is gone, I’m the eldest son of the family.
“It’s my responsibility to support and care for our parents.
“Even if I were to build a new house, I’d tear this one down and build it right here.”
Lin Xiulan put her hands on her hips, practically spitting as she shouted,
“Whether you build a house or not, why should we give ours to you?
“Isn’t it enough that I’m raising two of your children?
“Now you want my house too? Do you deserve it?
“What are you to me?
“Even the shit I just took is closer to me than you are!”
Zhang Qiulian’s face turned pale, then red.
With no other choice, she dropped to her knees.
“I really don’t have a choice. Please, I’m begging you.
“You can continue living in the houses.
“Just change the names on the homestead deeds to the children’s names.”
Hu Yan almost laughed from sheer disbelief.
Zhang Qiulian really was willing to do anything for the future demolition compensation.
At this time, the village houses were all built on homestead land.
Before long, officials would come to measure the area of the houses for the demolition.
They would also clearly record who each house belonged to.
If they agreed to this today, the future demolition compensation would have nothing to do with them.
She really had some nerve asking for all these houses.
Hu Yan deliberately asked,
“Sister-in-law, the triplets are still so young. There’s no way the homestead can be registered under the children’s names.”
Zhang Qiulian remained kneeling, tears filling her eyes.
“That’s true.
“Then put it under my name for now. Once the children grow up, I’ll definitely change it to their names.”
Even Chen Ergen and Teacher Bai were unhappy now.
It might have been understandable if she were asking for the children.
But she was a woman who was about to remarry, and she had some nerve making such a demand.
Seeing everyone staring at her as though she had gone crazy, Zhang Qiulian turned to Third son Chen Guanghui.
“Third brother, your job is in the city. You and your wife will eventually become city people.
“Once your two daughters get married, no one will be living in your house anyway.
“Why not give it to your nephews? Please, I’m begging you.”
Chen Guanghui didn’t really care.
But Guan Guiying wasn’t willing to give up their house.
“Sister-in-law, even if we move to the city, we’ll still come home for the New Year.
“Our house back home is our root. We can’t be without it.”
Hu Yan added fuel to the fire.
“Exactly, Sister-in-law. Third brother has already adopted Chen Sen.
“That house will belong to him sooner or later.
“Why are you in such a hurry?
“Unless you don’t trust Third brother and Third sister-in-law?”
Chen Guanghui and Guan Guiying thought the same way as Hu Yan.
They didn’t have a son.
Eventually, the house would belong to Chen Sen anyway.
Zhang Qiulian shot Hu Yan a resentful glance before turning to Chen Guanghui and Guan Guiying, explaining in a gentle voice,
“No, of course not.
“I’m just worried about the children.
“If the house will belong to Chen Sen sooner or later, then giving it to him now is the same thing.”
Guan Guiying found the whole situation strange.
What was wrong with her eldest sister-in-law today?
Why was she kneeling and begging for everyone’s houses?
She was usually so proud and aloof.
Why was she acting so strangely today?
Seeing that the second and third branches were willing to consider it, Zhang Qiulian turned her attention to the fourth and fifth branches.
Those were even more impossible.
Chen Guangyao was the village accountant, while Tang Lijuan’s father was the village Party secretary.
There was no way they would leave the village.
Zhang Qiulian looked at Chen Guangze.
“Fifth brother, you’re so good at making money.
“You could probably earn the price of this house back in ten days or half a month.
“Please, I’m begging you. Give the house to your nephews.”
Chen Guangze wasn’t going to fall for her trick.
The house might not be large, but it was about to be demolished.
How could he possibly give it away?
“Sister-in-law, what are you trying to do?
“How can we just give away our house back home?
“Not to mention that my wife is living there.
“This house will belong to my children in the future.”
Hu Yan knew it would be like this.
In her previous life, they had been the fools who took the biggest loss.
They had not only given away their house but had also raised her son for her.
They had been unbelievably stupid.
That would never happen again in this life.
She reached out and helped Zhang Qiulian to her feet.
“Sister-in-law, Eldest brother’s house is still there.
“Chen Lei and Chen Sen have already been adopted by Second and Third. They’ll be responsible for them.
“Chen Hao has his father’s house.
“You really don’t need all these houses.”
Seeing Zhang Qiulian’s expression as if she’d just swallowed a fly made Hu Yan feel rather pleased.
Tang Lijuan now had absolutely no goodwill toward Zhang Qiulian.
Her mother had analyzed the situation for her.
Zhang Qiulian had probably been behind Chen Hao pushing her.
She simply didn’t want Tang Lijuan to give birth to another grandson for the Chen family.
So Tang Lijuan deliberately added insult to injury.
“That’s right, Sister-in-law. Fifth sister-in-law has a point.
“Chen Sen and Chen Lei have the houses from Second and Third.
“Chen Hao has his father’s house.
“If you take every house in the Chen family, you wouldn’t even have enough people to live in them!
“Unless you want your whole maternal family to move in?”
Lin Xiulan’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open.
“Sister-in-law, are you trying to turn the Chen family into the Zhang family?”
Teacher Bai and Old Man Chen’s faces darkened.
Everyone immediately fell silent.
The elderly couple intended to spend their retirement here.
There was no way they were going to hand their home over to Zhang Qiulian.
Zhang Qiulian clenched her teeth.
She had originally thought that because everyone had always helped her and her children, she could cry and put on a pitiful act and get the houses.
Instead, everyone’s comments had pushed her into a corner.
Now she looked like a woman trying to hand her husband’s family over to her own family.
She had no choice but to play her final card.
“Mom, Dad, I only want the children to have more space to live in.
“How about this?
“I’ll pay 800 yuan to buy the earthen houses from each branch.
“That should be enough for you to build brick houses elsewhere.
“Think of it as something I’m doing as a mother for my children.”
This time, everyone was tempted.
Second, Third, and Fourth all felt that it was a reasonable offer.
In the village, labor for building a house didn’t cost much.
Eight hundred yuan was indeed enough to build a brick house.
Chen Ergen and Teacher Bai, however, remained completely calm and unmoved.
Their house was already a brick house.
They didn’t know how many more years they would live.
There was no need to go through all that trouble.
Hu Yan curled her lip disdainfully.
“Sister-in-law, you keep saying you’re doing this for the children.
“But even if you buy these houses, the deeds won’t be in the children’s names.
“If you sell the houses later, the money will still belong to you.
“And if your maternal family moves in, will Mom and Dad even be able to enjoy their retirement in peace?”
Chen Ergen and Teacher Bai nodded.
Once their sons moved out, wouldn’t the Zhang family bully the elderly couple?
Hu Yan continued digging the hole for Zhang Qiulian.
“How about this?
“You can buy the houses, but first change the homestead registration to Mom and Dad’s names.
“Once the triplets grow up, you can transfer it to them.
“Don’t you trust Mom and Dad?
“This way, everyone gets what they want.”
Zhang Qiulian’s face darkened.
She would be paying all that money and still wouldn’t get the houses in her own name.
Hu Yan clapped her hands.
“This way, you get to show how much you care about your children, while Mom and Dad can feel secure.
“What do you think, Sister-in-law?”
Everyone watched Zhang Qiulian in silence, assuming she was considering the proposal.
Tang Lijuan rubbed her pregnant belly and urged her,
“Sister-in-law, have you made up your mind?
“Give us an answer.”
After the family division, they still had to divide the farmland and separate the household registrations.
The names on the houses and homesteads also had to be changed.
There was still plenty to do, and no one had time to waste sitting here waiting for her.
Hu Yan nodded.
“Exactly, Sister-in-law. We still have things to take care of.”