Chapter 651: The depressed Jia Zhangshi, why do you insist on giving away someone's house?

Seeing Tang Yanling steel her heart and resolutely refuse to stay with Bangeng, Qin Huairu, having learned the truth of the divorce, began to consider the Jia family's interests.

Worried that after the divorce Tang Yanling would bear a grudge against the Jia family and reveal what they had done to Shazhu, thus ruining Qin Huairu's plans.

Having no other recourse, Qin Huairu could only resort to the saying "under a heavy reward there is a brave man," preparing to transfer one of the Siheyuan's rooms to Tang Yanling.

Not moving out of the Siheyuan would be tantamount to still living under her nose, equivalent to keeping Tang Yanling under surveillance.

She hoped Tang Yanling would take the Jia family's room in the Siheyuan.

Her tone was unnatural, carrying a hint of scheming.

"Yanling, you've been married to Bangeng for so many years—how have you been? Mom knows best; you're wonderful! Since you married into our Jia family, Mom has never treated you as an outsider. To outsiders we are mother‑in‑law and daughter‑in‑law, but in Mom's eyes we are mother and daughter. You, Tang Yanling, are just like Bangeng, Xiao Dang, and Huaihua—all my children."

Tang Yanling let out a cold snort in her heart.

Treat me like a maiden.

Then what is my relationship with Bangeng?

She looked at Qin Huairu's face, full of kindness, and suddenly thought this was a huge joke—indeed, she had learned the whole set of deceitful tricks from the colluding scoundrel Yi Zhonghai.

Is this treating herself as Shazhu and scheming against herself?

"You and Bangeng have parted because your fate ran out, but the feeling between us remains; Mom still regards you as her own child."

"You need not go to such trouble."

"Yanling, you've grown distant from the Jia family; forget about Jia family matters, I won't speak of them. My affairs with Shazhu aren't as simple as you imagine; they can't be cleared up in a sentence or two—these are adult matters you don't understand."

"Perhaps you don't."

"No, you've misunderstood Mom; Mom does have feelings for Shazhu."

"Let's not talk about these things."

"Yes, yes, let's talk about our matters, your matters. Yanling, women and men are different: a man divorced at forty can still marry a twenty‑something girl, but a woman in her forties can only keep company with men in their fifties or sixties. Mom, having been through this, knows it's not easy; staying long‑term at her natal home isn't the same either. The Siheyuan has a room for you."

"I don't want it; I just said I don't want it."

Seeing Tang Yanling's firm attitude.

Qin Huairu hurriedly, with good intentions, thought up a follow‑up plan for Tang Yanling.

"Mom knows what you're thinking—nothing more than not wanting to see each other head‑on, feeling a bit awkward. Mom has already worked it out: you get a room; if you don't want the room, Mom will pay you its market value in cash, so you can buy a place elsewhere to have a roof over your head. You gave the Jia family a son—that's merit; Mom won't let you feel cold‑hearted."

"Mom!"

"That's settled then—part on good terms. Make an appointment with Bangeng to finish the paperwork. Before you leave, Mom has one last thing to say: even if you divorce Bangeng, you remain Mom's good child, and the Jia family's door will always be open for you."

Qin Huairu patted her buttocks and walked away.

Watching her receding back.

Tang Yanling shook her head slightly.

Just empty talk.

Not to be taken seriously.

Does Qin Huairu really think she's stupid?

Beast!

Besides that word, she could think of no other way to describe it.

……

What?

Jia Zhangshi, who had been sitting calmly like a fisherman on his terrace, felt as if springs were installed under his seat upon hearing Qin Huairu's account, and nearly jumped up.

His murky triangular eyes shot a knife‑like gaze at Qin Huairu.

This is what you told me.

Tang Yanling divorcing Bangeng—this proposal, Jia Zhangshi approves.

According to Jia Zhangshi's thinking, the Jia family is no longer what it was; now the Jia family is grand and prosperous. After Bangeng and Tang Yanling divorce, he can promptly marry a virtuous maiden and father a plump great‑grandson for her.

Unlike Tang Yanling, who could be called one who sits on a toilet and doesn't defecate, she has given Jia Zhangshi only a great‑grandson.

Jia Zhangshi wishes for Bangeng and Tang Yanling to divorce.

What she cares about also strikes Jia Zhangshi as unbelievable: Qin Huairu actually wants to give Tang Yanling a room, and even though Tang Yanling explicitly said she doesn't want it, Qin Huairu still insists on handing over the room, considering that after Tang Yanling divorces Bangeng it would be inconvenient to continue sharing the Siheyuan, and she also said she would convert the room's value into cash and give that to Tang Yanling.

Such maneuvering.

Jia Zhangshi couldn't make sense of it.

In Jia Zhangshi's mind.

The Jia family's house is the Jia family's house; when Tang Yanling and Bangeng divorce, they should simply pat their buttocks and leave, not take the Jia family's house or money with them.

What right does the Jia family have to give its things to Tang Yanling?

Even if Tang Yanling bore Jia Zhangshi a great‑grandson, Jia Zhangshi still wouldn't feel indebted to her, and would think Tang Yanling had hindered the Jia family's proliferation.

She is a sinner of the Jia family.

He walked a circle around Qin Huairu.

Finally unable to hold back, he spoke.

"Huairu, is it Mom who's muddled, or you? Should we really do this? They don't want it, yet you insist on shoving it into their hands—do you think our Jia family has too much money? Too many houses? Even if we have plenty of money and houses, we can't waste it like this; all of it is hard‑earned. I won't give Tang Yanling a house, nor give her money—what for? It's she who owes our family Bangeng; she should be paying us money."

"Have you finished speaking?"

Qin Huairu looked at Jia Zhangshi with a blank expression.

She did not flare up in anger just because of Jia Zhangshi's tirade.

No.

Rather, she wanted to reason with Jia Zhangshi.

"If you're done, then it's my turn. I asked Tang Yanling—she divorced Bangeng because of what the Jia family did to Shazhu."

"Did Shazhu really hook up with Tang Yanling?"

Bangeng wearing a hat.

He took off the hat on his head.

He looked at the color.

It wasn't green.

"Tang Yanling told me, saying that Shazhu toiled like an ox and horse for our Jia family his whole life, and was ruthlessly driven out by our Jia family; if she were like Shazhu, our Jia family would without hesitation drive her out of the Jia family, leaving her to fend for herself, she is afraid."

Jia Zhangshi's face changed.

Bangeng and the others' faces also weren't very good-looking.

"Tang Yanling is a living person; people now have made up their minds to divorce Bangeng; if our Jia family shows no reaction, wouldn't Tang Yanling be even more heartbroken?"

"Heartbroken is heartbroken; divorced, what does it have to do with our Jia family?"

"After divorcing, she has no relation with our Jia family and can freely speak of how we treated Shazhu; then how will those people view our Jia family? Will He Yushui turn against us? Will Lou Xiaoe regard our Jia family as an enemy? Have you considered these issues thoroughly?"

Qin Huairu lifted the tea jar in front of her.

She took a sip of water.

"Anyway, I've thought it through; whether it's He Yushui or Lou Xiaoe, if they truly treat us as enemies, our Jia family simply has no strength to fight back; Tang Yanling's divorce happens to have played a role of adding fuel to the fire; in order not to let our Jia family end up in ruin, for the sake of Jia family's interests, I can only try to get close to Tang Yanling as much as possible, hoping that Tang Yanling will, for Xiao Geng's sake, keep her mouth shut tightly."

He looked at Jia Zhangshi disdainfully.

He got a little agitated.

"If you're reluctant to spend money or give up the house, you'd better think of a way to make Tang Yanling keep quiet."

Jia Zhangshi didn't speak.

He glanced at Qin Huairu resentfully.

Letting her think of a solution is worse than letting her go to the toilet to defecate; making feces, Jia Zhangshi is familiar with it, but thinking of solutions is truly not Jia Zhangshi's strength.

"You can't think of a method? If you can't think of a method, just follow my method."

"That also can't be giving her money for a house; giving her one or two hundred will do."

"I'm not handling this matter; you go talk, you go find Tang Yanling to talk."

Seeing Qin Huairu about to give up.

Jia Zhangshi hastily lowered her head.

"You go, it's just about a house; I, the old lady, decide, agree, but you also need to settle things with Tang Yanling, take our Jia family's money, and must not speak again of our Jia family's matters with Shazhu, otherwise the old lady won't forgive her."

Qin Huairu nodded.

She rose from the stool.

She stepped forward to the wardrobe, took out an envelope from inside, and handed it to Bangeng.

"Inside are eight hundred; this is the money Yi Zhonghai gave to Shazhu, Shazhu then gave it to me, asking me to use it to arrange funeral supplies for Yi Zhonghai; Shazhu is dead, Yi Zhonghai is not in the siheyuan, so this money is useless; you give it to Tang Yanling, go now, then go to the civil affairs bureau to get the divorce certificate."

"You're not going to consider it a bit more?"

"What to consider? Consider whether Tang Yanling sees this as an opportunity to open her mouth wide like a lion toward our Jia family? Then she might demand two thousand from us; will we give it?"

"Bangeng, don't stand there dazed; hurry up and listen to your mother's meaning, go divorce Tang Yanling."

Under Jia Zhangshi's urging.

Bangeng took the money.

He made a move to leave.

Qin Huairu, however, called out to her again.

He Yushui went to Qin Huairu to demand the He family ancestral house, and also wanted to talk with Bangeng.

The male members of the Jia family.

It was decided that Bangeng has the right to be informed.

"Bangeng, wait a moment before leaving; I have something to discuss with you all. The day before yesterday, at Shazhu's funeral, He Yushui came and, in front of the neighbors, scolded Yi Zhonghai; you all know this, right? The reason He Yushui spoke up for our Jia family is that I had reached an agreement with her on the terms."

The Jia family people led by Jia Zhangshi.

Seeing He Yushui not speaking up for Shazhu, but instead helping their Jia family deal with Yi Zhonghai, they felt a surge of ridicule, looked down on He Yushui in various ways, thinking He Yushui is a complete fool.

Such a good opportunity to seek justice for Shazhu was just given up like that.

I didn't expect there to be hidden details they didn't know about inside.

Their gaze focused on Qin Huairu.

"He Yushui's condition is just one."

"Huairu, just say He Yushui's condition, say it."

"House!"

The Jia family members present.

They all thought they had misheard.

He Yushui, worth several million, is asking our Jia family for a house.

Isn't this a joke?

Just the small building where He Yushui currently lives.

The Jia family members, looking at it, were very envious.

Huaihua, after all, is the person who studied the most among the Jia family's five poultry; while Jia Zhangshi and others were still doubtful, Huaihua had already figured out what the house mentioned in Qin Huairu's words specifically referred to.

The He family's ancestral home!

He raised his head.

He said to Qin Huairu: "Mom, is He Yushui asking for the He family's former house?"

Qin Huairu nodded.

That nod.

The Jia family instantly exploded in an uproar.

The He family's ancestral home, however, is the largest and best-located house within the Siheyuan.

Heaven pities them.

Since Jia Dongxu married Qin Huairu, Jia Zhangshi has been eyeing the He family's house, constantly wanting to turn it into her own family's estate; after finally getting her wish, she now faces the crisis of having to give up the house.

On what grounds?

Our Jia family's house—why should we give it to He Yushui?

Jia Zhangshi was the first to object.

Once again, she fixed her murderous gaze on Qin Huairu; without a word, that vicious look already made Jia Zhangshi's attitude on this matter clear.

Unless I die.

Even if Shazhu dies, He Yushui has no right.

A married-out daughter still wants her parents' house.

She's got a lot of nerve.

Bangeng and Xiao Dang also couldn't understand why He Yushui had the nerve to demand the house from them, especially since this house was the one Shazhu had given to the Jia family.

Qin Huairu looked at the expressions on Jia Zhangshi and their faces.

"You don't agree?"

"Of course we don't agree, we won't give it."

"Mom, Grandma is right—this is our Jia family's house, hard-earned by the Jia family; giving it to He Yushui, I can't get past that hurdle in my heart."

"Me too."

"Huaihua, your grandma, your brother, and your sister all disagree; Mom wants to hear your opinion."

"Just give it!"

Xiao Dang and Bangeng appeared on either side of Huaihua, one on the left, one on the right.

"Huaihua, what did you say?"

"Say it again, Huaihua."

"Huaihua, as a member of the Jia family, you can't turn your elbow outward; He Yushui is an outsider, we are your relatives."

"Grandma, brother, sister, this isn't about whether the elbow turns outward or not, but it concerns a legal principle; strictly speaking, the He family's house belongs to He Daqing; when it was first put under Shazhu's name, it was because He Daqing took the original property deed; the normal procedure would be for the Jiēdào to notify He Daqing, but we used connections internally to settle the matter; if it blew up, nobody would get a good outcome."

Huaihua caught her breath.

"He Daqing is dead; both Shazhu and Yushui have inheritance rights; even if this lawsuit goes to heaven, He Yushui is in the right and deserves a house."

Jia Zhangshi's eyes.

They widened even more.

Huaihua's words made her feel like it was an Arabian Nights tale.

"A married-out daughter is like spilled water; how can she still have inheritance rights?"

Qin Huairu, who took in Jia Zhangshi's expression, secretly chuckled a bit and spoke up in support of Huaihua.

"What He Yushui told me then was the same idea—she spoke of gender equality, sharing rights, and said she didn't want to make a big fuss, because a big fuss would be bad for our Jia family."

Jia Zhangshi's thinking.

It's not about giving He Yushui the house.

But about the inheritance rights.