"Victory, I'm fine. How are you?" Xiao Li asked with concern, then turned with fury towards Wang Dazhu and Chen Lishu. "Do you know you're trespassing? You even resorted to violence. You're completely lawless! Xiao Tang, hurry to the police station and report them. I refuse to believe no one can deal with them."
Hearing her words, Xiao Tang turned and walked towards the main entrance.
Chen Lishu, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke coldly, "You'd better hurry. When the police arrive, we'll see who is trespassing."
Zhao Shengli, hearing her, felt a pang of guilt. He raised his head, his face bruised, and asked, "What do you mean?"
Chen Lishu ignored him and turned to Wang Dazhu. "Dazhu, go to the police station. Tell them someone is impersonating the homeowner and illegally occupying another's property."
Wang Dazhu glanced at the other three, worried that Chen Lishu might be bullied if he left. His battalion commander had tasked him with protecting Chen Lishu, and he couldn't afford to fail.
He hesitated, "Sister-in-law, can you manage alone?"
Chen Lishu nodded. "There are many residents in the courtyard. They wouldn't dare do anything. Go, don't worry."
"Alright." Wang Dazhu responded, then turned and left the courtyard.
The other residents, who had been peeking from their doorways to watch the commotion, erupted when they saw Wang Dazhu actually going to report to the police.
"Whose house is this anyway? Didn't we rent it from the Zhao family?"
"Yes, my family has lived here for over two years. We've always paid rent to Sister-in-law Liu. What's going on? Will our money have been paid in vain?"
As the crowd's anxiety grew, they suddenly saw a dark blue figure hurrying in from the courtyard gate. As soon as they spotted her, everyone rushed forward.
"Sister-in-law Liu, you're back just in time. Tell us what's happening! We paid you our money, and now someone is saying this house isn't yours. We've paid rent for several months now."
"Yes, this happened midway. Tell us quickly."
As the crowd spoke at once, Aunt Liu had no time to respond. Her heart sank when she saw Chen Lishu.
At the same time, she couldn't help but wonder how someone who hadn't visited in three years had suddenly appeared.
When Chen Lishu had entrusted her to help rent out the house, Aunt Liu had initially managed it diligently. However, after two years of no requests to inspect it, Aunt Liu's greed grew.
With the increasing number of people moving into Beijing and the housing shortage, rent prices also climbed steadily. Thinking that Chen Lishu lived far away and wouldn't be able to check, she decided to conceal the income. Later, when both her sons were of an age to seek partners, their cramped little house was insufficient. So, she set her sights on Chen Lishu's courtyard.
Since Chen Lishu lived far away and wouldn't visit, why not have her family move in? Thus, before the lease was up, she evicted the tenants from the main house and moved her own family in. The old house sold for a good sum, and over the past year, her family had been living comfortably, eating well, and enjoying their spacious dwelling. The tenants treated them with respect, and life was indeed prosperous.
If Chen Lishu hadn't shown up, Aunt Liu would have had the illusion that the courtyard was her own.
"Mom, this bitch is spouting nonsense. The person who was with her earlier hit me. Hurry and send someone to my elder brother's factory. We're locals; how can we be bullied by an outsider? This is like trying to stir up trouble on the Grand Duke's territory. Hiss, I think she's tired of living."
Seeing Aunt Liu arrive, Zhao Shengli immediately perked up, his gaze towards Chen Lishu filled with malice.
Aunt Liu had initially felt flustered, unsure how to explain the situation to Chen Lishu. However, after hearing her younger son speak, her confidence surged.
Indeed, she was just a young girl from out of town. Without her assistance and care, the house would have remained vacant. Moreover, if she hadn't diligently managed things for the past two years, would the fifty yuan each month have just walked into her pocket on its own? What was wrong with her living in a few rooms?
With this thought, Aunt Liu’s heart steadied, and her breathing returned to normal. She looked at Chen Lishu and said, "Xiao Chen, let's discuss this inside."
She had always claimed this courtyard was hers, and besides, Victory's girlfriend was present. She certainly couldn't let her know about this.
"It's fine. There's nothing to hide. Aunt Liu, let's talk here."
Aunt Liu gave a forced smile. "It's so cold outside..."
Chen Lishu got straight to the point. "First, tell me why your family is living here."
"This, this house, you sold it to me, didn't you? It's been so long, you've forgotten? Victory's bringing his girlfriend home tonight. Should we have dinner at home?"
Aunt Liu winked at Chen Lishu, urging her not to disrupt her son's important marriage.
Chen Lishu almost laughed out loud at her words. "Aunt Liu, who exactly has the poor memory? I only asked you to help look after the tenants and collect rent. We signed a contract in black and white, and it never said you could brazenly move in."
They were shameless and still expected her to smooth things over? They could dream.
Chen Lishu then presented the property deed and the rental agency contract they had signed. "Since you've violated the terms of the contract, I have nothing more to say. You have one day to move out of the house."
Aunt Liu’s face turned pale upon seeing her so resolute.
The others present were even more stunned. So, this house truly belonged to this young lady.
The most difficult person to accept this was Xiao Li. She had accepted Zhao Shengli so quickly precisely because of their large courtyard. Now, it turned out to be a wasted hope. If the rightful owner hadn't appeared, Zhao Shengli would have been marrying under false pretenses!
Zhao Shengli, seeing Xiao Li's extremely displeased expression, panicked and looked at Chen Lishu with a gaze that seemed to want to tear her apart.
"You're spouting nonsense. Who knows if the documents you're holding aren't forged? I think you're desperate for the house! Our family has lived in this area for decades. Haven't you inquired? Do you really think everyone is easy to bully? Be sensible and leave now, or you'll have to consider the consequences."
Zhao Shengli’s eyes, already narrow, now seemed to be mere slits as he looked at Chen Lishu.
His words were both a threat and a warning. If she offended them, the locals, Chen Lishu might as well forget about renting out the house in the future.
Seeing his tough stance, Xiao Li's expression improved slightly, hoping that Chen Lishu was simply trying to cause trouble.
Aunt Liu also spoke, "Xiao Chen, why don't we discuss this inside? After all, making a scene like this isn't good for anyone."