Chapter 366: New Year's! (Seeking Monthly Votes)

"But I have already paid the rent, I have already rented this house now!" Wu Qiuling said.

Han Dacheng chuckled: "You only have that little bit of money a month, what of it, does this house belong to you now?"

Wu Qiuling suddenly didn't know what to say, and the man looking at the house nearby hesitated and said: "Then I won't look at it for now, this house of yours... forget it, I won't rent it for now."

Han Dacheng nearby was stunned: "Not renting? No, big brother, you see I brought you to look at the house so early, and you say you won't rent it just like that? Is this house of mine not good?"

However, the other party didn't say a single word, just said it wasn't suitable, and then left immediately.

Han Dacheng glanced at Wu Qiuling, also preparing to leave, but Wu Qiuling hesitated and said: "Han Ge, about that... look, I am a girl after all, the house is indeed yours, and you can bring people to see the house, but please give me a call to let me know before you come, okay?"

"I understand you, but you should also understand me; although the house is yours, I have also paid the rent."

Han Dacheng's face was visibly impatient, but he still said: "Alright, alright, so many issues; if I had known it would be this much trouble to bring someone to see the house now, I wouldn't have rented it to you!"

Wu Qiuling didn't speak, just quietly gripped her phone tighter.

The first person to lecture these new Employees was Lawyer Liu from the legal department, who was quite conventional.

But recently, the one lecturing them was no longer Lawyer Liu, but that Lawyer Huo who had spoken to them over the phone before.

This Lawyer Huo's lectures were not so conventional; clearly, he was talking about contracts and Labor Law, but as he spoke, he would drift off to other topics.

Even now, Wu Qiuling still remembered the other party's words at the time.

"Evidence, everything must rely on evidence. Many times we have infinite grievances in our hearts, but when we try every possible way to seek Legal Aid, we find that we cannot succeed."

"Why? Because we have no evidence. An oral statement is not proof. You rely on your own mouth to say you suffered this or that grievance, or that others violated something—is it useful? It's useless!"

"So the lesson I am teaching everyone is: when you discover that some things are out of control and you might fall into this or that trouble, you must remember to secure the evidence!"

"People must learn to protect themselves. You might secure evidence a hundred times and never use it, but as long as you can use it once, it is worth it!"

Insufficient evidence or lack of probative value is a completely different matter from having no evidence!

If the evidence is insufficient, the judge will exercise Free Discretion, determine the case by synthesizing all aspects of the situation, and there is still hope of winning.

But without evidence... even if you talk until the sky falls, no one will support you.

And besides securing evidence, there is one more point: you must be in the right!

No matter what method you use, your evidence must reflect the part where you are in the right; this way, even if your evidence is insufficient, the judge can still rule in your favor through Free Discretion.

Then, that Lawyer Huo started teaching how to quickly secure evidence, and as he rambled on, he talked about how to send people to prison, and was then chased off the stage by Lawyer Liu Shiwen, much to everyone's regret.

After all... who doesn't have a dream of sending someone to prison in their heart?

Wu Qiuling was now starting to put it into practice.

There was no movement for the next few days; after all, everyone was celebrating the New Year, so Xiao Wu Guniang relaxed her vigilance.

It was already the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. In Lincheng, Zhou Yi went downstairs and started strolling around the Small Residential District.

He had been back for several days; it's the New Year, after all, and those who can go home will go home.

Why not stay at home? For no other reason than that there are many parents and relatives, so during this time, relatives kept coming over.

Not to mention those bringing children; because of that piano incident before, it inexplicably spread that the boy from the Zhou family was too distant from his relatives, and so on.

As a result, after the elevator repair incident, many relatives learned that the boy from the Zhou family was actually a big boss of a Company and extremely wealthy, so those who had previously said this or that about Zhou Yi started coming to find his parents.

Some had children at home looking for work and wanted him, the "older brother," to look after them.

Others wanted to borrow money, saying that at the end of the year, debt collectors had already found their homes, and they had no choice but to beg Zhou's father and mother for help—such cases were everywhere.

To be honest, this was the first time Zhou Yi discovered that his family actually had so many relatives!

What is meant by "poverty in the busy city goes unnoticed, wealth in the deep mountains has distant relatives"—Zhou Yi had witnessed it.

Of course, one cannot paint the entire group of relatives with the same brush. Zhou Yi had been taught countless times by Lawyer Fang not to easily label people, and that one must develop the habit of analyzing specific problems specifically!

This was Lawyer Fang's basic principle for conducting oneself in society!

Just because a brat from a relative's family is annoying doesn't mean one should dislike all children of relatives.

Everything must be viewed according to the situation.

It's just that Zhou Yi didn't like these things, but his parents were very keen on them, so let them do the distinguishing.

And this time back, Zhou Yi had already packed up everything that needed to be packed. If the brats wanted to make a scene, let them; a fall into the pit, a gain in your wit.

If one knows a child is a brat and still puts one's so-called precious figures and the like out in the open just to be pedantic, then that is completely meaningless.

As he gets older, he doesn't know why, but for the New Year, it seems he no longer has that feeling from childhood.

If it weren't for the thought of coming back to spend the New Year with his parents, he wouldn't have wanted to come back at all.

It was already New Year's Eve, and the family was happily making dumplings and eating the reunion dinner.

Zhou's mother no longer urged him to find a partner, but there was no sound of firecrackers, no laughter and joy.

The Spring Festival Gala on TV was the same as always, the same old faces every year, but it was already so awkward that one couldn't even watch it.

In the past, comedy was comedy; the whole program was almost entirely to make you laugh, with a punchline or a joke in every sentence.

But now... it seems like they are embarrassed if they don't elevate the theme, making you know how it will end before you even watch the beginning.

Then came the routine first day of the New Year, lucky money and such.

Zhou Mouren was still hoping for something to happen; after all, it's the New Year, and if nothing happens, he feels something is wrong.

Unfortunately, nothing happened. All the relatives spoke nicely to his parents, and the children were all disciplined strictly; if any dared to run around, they would get a couple of slaps.

This disappointed Zhou Yi. Wasn't it said that brats had strong combat power? How did two slaps from their parents make them behave?

However, Wu Qiuling in Jingzhou did not feel any joy.

It was the New Year, and staying alone in the rented room, she felt as if there was laughter and joy all around. There were reasons for not going back, of course; home is not just that house—where there are people, that is home.

Last time her door was broken into, she had thought about changing the lock, but the contract for renting the house stated that one could not change the lock privately; if changed, the landlord had to be given a key, saying it was for convenience.

Although she had been educated by Lawyer Huo, she still had some respect for the contract and felt she shouldn't commit a Breach of Contract casually.

And after what happened last time, the landlord hadn't come again, so it was nothing.

Time flew by until after the fourth day of the first lunar month.

It was noon, Wu Qiuling was eating, and then she heard that familiar voice again.

Here it is again? Subconsciously, she hurriedly opened her phone to start recording.

At this moment, outside the door, Han Dacheng was with a middle-aged woman.

"They should be arriving soon, let's go in and wait first; it's too cold out here."

While speaking, Han Dacheng opened the door; as for the matter Wu Qiuling had mentioned before... sorry, he hadn't remembered it at all.

Landlords are not all the same, and tenants are even more different.

Some landlords think that since it is their house, they can do whatever they want, even if you have already rented it.

And some tenants, on the other hand, act as if they have a grudge against the house; every time they move out, they leave trash everywhere, or they destroy the facilities in the room at will and don't think they are wrong.

Han Dacheng and his wife Qiao Ruoyun were the former type; their level of education wasn't very high, but they owned a house and always felt they had a higher status than those outsiders, believing that renting the house to them was an honor for those outsiders!

Heaven knows where this mentality came from...

After opening the door and entering, they saw Wu Qiuling cooking a small hot pot in the living room; their eyes met, and the scene was a bit silent.

"Xiao Wu? You didn't go home? Eating, huh? Your sister-in-law and I brought a tenant to see the house. The person hasn't arrived yet, so we'll come in and wait first; it's too cold outside," Han Dacheng said casually.

Wu Qiuling put down her chopsticks and said, "Han Ge, didn't I tell you last time that I'm not going home for the New Year, and that you should notify me before bringing people over so I can be prepared? How come you've come again without a word!"

Before Han Dacheng could say anything, his wife Qiao Ruoyun spoke up from the side: "Oh my, what's the matter? Do we have to notify you when we come to our own house?"

"Who cares about looking at you? What's wrong, just because you're a woman?"

If Zhou Mouren were here, he would definitely find this feeling too familiar!

There is a type of person in this world who, like Xu Yufeng, has a certain magical ability to make your temper flare up in an instant!

Even if you originally intended not to get angry, they can make you flare up with just one sentence.

It is not just the words themselves, but also the posture and expression that accompany them.

For example, right now, the bit of disdain, the bit of contempt, plus a little sarcasm on Qiao Ruoyun's face, along with that look in her eyes—even the well-behaved Wu Guniang couldn't hold it in anymore!

"Hey, how are you talking? What do you mean 'who cares about looking at me'? This is what you are doing wrong. I rented the house, so I have the right to use it. If I don't allow it, even if you are the landlord, you cannot come in!"

This was content she had looked up online a while ago, which stated that as long as it is during the lease period, she has the right to use the house, and even the landlord cannot just come in.

However, the couple didn't care about any of this.

"What right to use or not to use? I just know that this house is mine. I come whenever I want to come. If you think it's not right, why don't you go buy a house yourself?"

"You can't afford to buy a house yourself and can only rent, yet you dare to say that even the landlord can't come in? Who do you think you are to stop us from coming in? We are coming in right now, what can you do!" Han Dacheng also shouted there.

Wu Qiuling stepped back a few paces and said, "Then I can only call the police."

"You call them! Go ahead and call them. Even if the police come, they have to be reasonable. Why can't we come into our own house? You wait, I'll call the people from the Community Office too. Let's have everyone judge who is right today!"

Wu Qiuling took a deep breath and dialed the number to report the crime. This was already her second time calling the police; compared to the nervousness of the first time, this time she was a bit more familiar with the process.

After stating the situation she encountered, the other party confirmed with her: "So they have come in now and don't intend to leave, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Okay, please wait a moment; the nearby Police Station has been notified."

On the other side, the couple Han Dacheng and his wife were still the same, and Qiao Ruoyun even started saying: "You think you can occupy the house just because you rented it, right? I'm telling you, we aren't renting it out anymore; get out right now!"

"You won't let us in? We don't even want you to keep living here. I'll refund you for the remaining days; don't say that we people of Jingzhou bully you outsiders!"

"Impossible, that counts as a Breach of Contract, you need to pay me a penalty!"

Wu Qiuling was trying hard to reason, but at times like this, you cannot reason with people using the law, so they started arguing just like that.

Just as they were talking, someone knocked on the door; it was Lao Zhou, wearing a thick overcoat.

As it happens, Lao Zhou was on patrol today, and upon receiving the police report while patrolling nearby, he had to come.

"Who called the police? Stop arguing, stop arguing, who called the police?"

Wu Guniang hurried over and said, "Officer, I called the police. The situation is like this..."

She explained the specific situation, saying that she had rented the house, but the landlord kept coming in at will.

Before she could even finish, Han Dacheng said: "Officer, you can't listen to her nonsense. This is our own house, we have the deed. She told us she didn't intend to rent it anymore, so we have to find other tenants."

"And to find tenants, we have to bring people to see the house, otherwise how can we make a deal?"

"But she, on the other hand, has done this again and again, just refusing to let us bring people to see the house. You tell me, how can there be such a thing? She must cooperate with us in finding tenants!"

It was another case of lying through their teeth. Wu Guniang became anxious and hurriedly said, "Officer, it's not like that. I asked them to notify me in advance..."

"When did you ever say that? How come I don't know!"

They started arguing again. Lao Zhou said helplessly: "Alright, stop arguing for now. Speak one by one."

Wu Guniang finally remembered that she still had the phone recording, so she quickly took it over and said, "Officer, I have a recording here. You can listen to what they said!"

What? This woman even recorded it?

Han Dacheng and his wife were momentarily stunned, and then they heard what the two of them had said.

Things like "It's our house, we come whenever we want to come."

Lao Zhou then looked at the couple and said: "Now, what do you have to say? Let me tell you, the young lady is absolutely right. Even if this house is yours, you cannot just come in at will; you must obtain her consent!"

"The ownership of the house is indeed yours, but the right to use it is hers, do you understand? You coming in like this, what is that called? That is called trespassing on a private residence, do you know that?"

Han Dacheng was unconvinced: "Officer, even though she is a woman, you can't just side with her. If I can't bring people to see the house, I won't be able to rent it out. Who is responsible for that?"

"If your house can't be rented out, that is naturally your own business. According to the law, during the duration of the rental contract, you simply cannot come in at will. Furthermore, the tenant has no obligation to cooperate with the landlord to show the house, unless you have made an agreement in the contract, do you understand?"

This is the latest provision of the Civil Code; the tenant does not have this obligation!

If the contract stipulates that the house can be viewed in the last month or half-month, that is fine, but the premise remains the same: you must notify in advance and obtain the other party's consent.

Some people might say, what if the other party keeps refusing?

Then you might be in Breach of Contract, and they might have the possibility of withholding the deposit, but that is only a possibility.

Lao Zhou kept criticizing and educating them; this is the basic situation at the grassroots level—it is impossible to just resort to violence for every little thing.

But clearly, the couple was not happy!

Especially Qiao Ruoyun, who, as she spoke, started accusing Lao Zhou of being biased.

Lao Zhou said directly, "If you feel I am biased, that is no problem; let us go back to the Police Station and slowly clarify this matter. Arguing here is useless."

As he spoke, he prepared to take them away, which immediately frightened the couple.

Just at this moment, the staff from the Community Office arrived.

Seeing the situation, they began to persuade him, "Comrade, there is no need for this, really no need. They know they were wrong now; there is truly no need to take them back. Look, it is the New Year..."

It was the New Year, indeed it was the New Year, a time for celebration. Lao Zhou also nodded and said, "That is fine, but I must tell you two: before the contract expires, you absolutely cannot enter at will, otherwise the nature of the offense will be very serious!"

After finishing his criticism and education, Lao Zhou left; he could not possibly take any measures, as no consequences had been caused after all.

Only Wu Guniang was left standing there, a sentence echoing in her mind: "It is the New Year..."

(End of this chapter)