NOVPUB
Chapter 379: Chapter 369 Someone is Making Trouble
Shen Yunfang and Ma Liguo first took the two children to the nursery to get them used to the life there, and then went to old lady Zhao’s house, ready to go with her to complete the household registration transfer procedures.
They hadn’t even left the alley when they heard the chaotic wails and cries ahead.
Shen Yunfang glanced at Ma Liguo and saw his brows furrow, "Brother Ma, what’s going on here?"
In just a few steps, the two of them could tell that the trouble was right at the entrance of old lady Zhao’s courtyard house.
"Hmph, I bet it’s those unfilial things causing a ruckus again, come on, let’s go have a look," Ma Liguo said as he strode towards the crowded area.
"Mom, are you trying to kill me and Taotao? Waaaah... You’re so cruel. If you sell the house, I won’t live anymore, Taotao and I will just smash our heads and die right here, waaaah..."
"You old thing, this house belongs to all of us, what gives you the right to decide on your own? I’m telling you, even if you sell it, it won’t work, I want to see who dares buy this house..."
"Don’t waste your breath on her, just hurry up and find that agreement and tear it up, then let’s see how she sells it..."
"It’s definitely on her person, hold her down and I’ll search..."
Because there was a crowd surrounding the commotion, Shen Yunfang couldn’t see what was happening inside, but just by listening to these words, she clenched her teeth in anger. What kind of creatures were these, treating their own mother with such tone, attitude, and actions? Were they even human?
Ma Liguo snorted through his nose, "I want to see who dares tear up the agreement. I’ll buy this house today; let’s see who can do anything to me."
When the crowd heard the voice from behind, everyone turned to look, and upon recognizing it was Director Ma, they quickly made way, "It’s Director Ma, make way, make way."
"Oh boy, looks like someone’s finally going to deal with those beasts from the Qu family."
Ma Liguo ignored these comments, walked straight through, and headed for the people who were still scrapping inside the ring.
Shen Yunfang closely followed Ma Liguo’s footsteps. She too wanted to see what kind of beasts were capable of hitting and scolding their own mother.
"All of you, stop it right now." Ma Liguo’s eyes, usually smiling, narrowed upon seeing the scene before him.
The men and women who were pulling on the old lady all sheepishly let go when they saw it was Ma Liguo who had arrived.
One of the men came over, nodding and bowing, "Oh, it’s Director Ma who’s come. You see, we were just so caught up in talking to my mother, we didn’t notice you. Please don’t take it personally." As he spoke, he even took out a packet of Daqianmen cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to Ma Liguo.
Ma Liguo glanced at the cigarette and snorted through his nose, "Don’t try that with me, now you tell me, what’s going on here?" He pointed to Zhao Da Nian, who was sitting on the ground wiping away tears, and the middle-aged women gathered around her, "You Qu siblings really do learn new tricks, huh? Bold enough to commit assault in broad daylight, even resorting to robbery, how capable you must be. Could someone do me a favor and report this to the police station? I refuse to believe that you lot can be so brazen under the bright sun and in the open sky."
True enough, there were those willing to help, and upon hearing Ma Liguo’s words, a young person dashed off immediately, shouting as he ran, "I’m going, I’ll bring someone back right away."
From this, it was evident that the onlookers weren’t so heartless; they had the blood to stand up to injustice, but they all knew how unreasonable the Qu siblings could be. If they were to come forward, they might end up bringing trouble on themselves, and seeing that no one else was stepping in, they were hesitant to act themselves. But now that someone had taken a lead, others were starting to respond.
"Ah, Director Ma, Director Ma, this is all a misunderstanding," the man who had offered the cigarette looked at the person running off, then immediately began to play the victim in front of Ma Liguo. He turned and shouted to the older women, "What are you looking at? Hurry up and help the old lady up, help her up."
The older women glanced at one another, initially wanting to curse Ma Liguo for being a nosy dog, but remembering Ma Liguo’s character, they swallowed the curses that were at the tip of their tongues. Irritated, they reached down and roughly pulled up the old lady who was still wiping away tears, "Why are you still sitting there? People might think we did something to you, get up quickly."
"Don’t play dumb, we didn’t hit you, why are you sitting on the ground? Do you think acting like this will get someone to help you? Fat chance. Even if we can’t get that agreement today, I’ll come back tomorrow and the day after. As long as you don’t hand it over, don’t think about having good days," said a middle-aged woman with a sly and shifty look threateningly into Zhao Da Nian’s ear.
Zhao Da Nian was yanked to her feet, staggering as she stood steadied herself, her tears continuing to fall. Since that house had been returned to her, she had not had a single good day. Every now and then, these children would come and torment her, and if she hadn’t promised her late husband that she would find the will to live on, she would have long followed him in death.
"Director Ma, look, it’s all a misunderstanding. My mother just lost her balance and fell over by herself, we really didn’t touch her, truly." The man saw his mother standing and turned around, gesturing with open hands to Ma Liguo, insisting he had not laid a hand on the old lady.
As if Ma Liguo would believe him; however, there was no need to argue with him over such matters.
"Let’s get to the point, what are you trying to do?" Ma Liguo gestured with his chin towards Zhao Da Nian’s position, "As I recall, you and Zhao Da Nian had long severed mother-son ties, what are you doing here now?"
"You can’t say that, Director Ma. We all crawled out of our mother’s belly. That kind of kinship is not something you can cut off just because you say so. My mother has lived by herself for so many years; it was heartbreaking to see. We didn’t have the means before, but now it’s different. We just thought we should come over and show our filial piety, let her enjoy some blessings," said Qu Yingwu, Zhao Da Nian’s second daughter, the woman who had been crying as if her own mother had died, threatening to crash against something with her child in her arms.
"Heh, I’ve really never seen anything like it, making the old lady happy with this kind of pleasure. Aren’t you ashamed? Aren’t you afraid that old man Qu will come at night to settle accounts with you?" Ma Liguo said, half mocking, half serious, "Besides, when it comes to mother-daughter or mother-son relationships, when they’re over, they’re over, just like what you did back then; you and old man Qu cut ties definitively. When anything happened to old man Qu, the state didn’t look to you. It’s the same now. Any compensation the state has for old man Qu and Zhao Da Nian has nothing to do with you lot, understood?"
The few members of the Qu family present looked at each other, all of them aware of this reasoning, but although they knew, the sight of their old mother living alone in such a large quadrangle courtyard was something they could not be indifferent about. The saying goes that money moves the heart, and a property like this house was enough to drive the children of the Qu family mad.
