Zhao Qinglan didn't recognize the two people in front of her, but she could still sense their malice.
Old Master Dou's expression visibly darkened. "What are you doing here? Haven't I already made things clear to you?"
“Grandpa, you’ve been fooled by them. You’ve lived in this house for so many years, it’s yours, isn’t it? What sweet talk did these people use to trick you into saying the house is theirs?” said the man in his thirties.
“That’s right, Uncle, we’re family. Who could be closer to us? You can’t believe the sweet words of outsiders.” The woman next to her chimed in.
Zhao Qinglan understood what was going on and turned to look at the old man, whose expression was becoming increasingly grim. "Grandpa Dou, what's this?"
"Qinglan, don't listen to their nonsense. They're all juniors from a different family now. They never used to be respectful to me, but now they're rushing to show off."
Knowing the old man's attitude, Zhao Qinglan looked at the two men with a mocking smile.
"So they've got their eyes on my house. I knew it! I've known Grandpa Dou for so many years, and I've never seen any of his younger relatives come to visit and show filial piety. But now they've suddenly appeared."
"What nonsense are you talking about? This isn't your house. You clearly swindled it from my great-uncle." The man immediately protested.
"Whose house it is is none of your business. Let's go eat, I'm starving," Zhao Qinglan said to the children.
Erwa made a face at the couple and then rushed out first. "Oh, time to eat!"
Zhao Qinglan locked the door, put the key in her pocket, and helped the old man walk, while Xiao Duo supported him on the other side.
The couple weren't about to let them leave and were about to stop them when the eldest child stepped forward and blocked their way. "What do you want?"
The eldest son is now tall and strong, and he often exercises with his father, so he has developed muscles. When he has a cold face, he is quite intimidating.
Ding Yu and Liu Dandan, who had been like invisible people, also stepped forward. Despite being girls, they were quite intimidating with their stern faces.
The couple was stunned. When they came to their senses, they watched the group of people gradually disappear into the distance.
"Dad, what should we do?" the woman asked.
"Pah! Uncle has lived here for so many years. This is exactly what we've heard. We are the Dou family. Uncle has no children or grandchildren. Now that he's gone, this house should be inherited by the Dou family."
"That's what we thought, but you saw their attitude too."
They weren't from Beijing; they only came because their son went to work in Beijing.
I knew that my great-uncle had always lived in the capital. When they came, they thought that my great-uncle was more familiar with the capital, so they came to ask him some questions. But when they saw that my great-uncle lived alone in such a big courtyard, they had an idea.
Their son has just started dating someone, and the other person keeps insisting that their son have a place to live.
But their son has only been in Beijing for a short time, so how could they afford to buy a house there? They are still living in a small rented apartment.
If we can appease my great-uncle, his family can move into this courtyard, and my son can successfully marry his girlfriend.
“There’s always a way, no rush. I don’t believe my great-uncle won’t side with the Dou family. They want to seize my Dou family’s house? No way. These days, the law applies.” He said smugly.
As Zhao Qinglan and the others walked along the road, the old man was still sighing and complaining.
"Qinglan, I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
"Grandpa Dou, what are you saying? What trouble or not trouble? Over the years, you've helped me and Li Huai so much. They say that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure, and you are our family's treasure."
The old man was amused and finally smiled.
The children joined in the antics, and soon the old man burst into laughter.
The topic was changed, but Zhao Qinglan still kept it in mind.
They wouldn't be staying in the capital for long, and Grandpa Dou wasn't willing to come and live with them at home. Before leaving the capital, she had to resolve this problem.
It was cold, so they went straight to a time-honored restaurant to eat hot pot with mutton.
The eldest and second children were at the age where they were growing and could eat a lot, and Ding Yu and Liu Dandan were also big eaters, so the mutton was served plate after plate.
Zhao Qinglan was worried that the children would get a sore throat from eating too much meat, so she urged them not to forget to eat some vegetables as well.
Fresh, thinly sliced mutton is quickly simmered in a copper pot, then dipped in a prepared sesame sauce—it's incredibly delicious when you eat it.
However, Zhao Qinglan prefers spicy beef tallow hot pot, and she also misses mutton hot pot.
The variety of items that can be sold jointly by the military and civilians is still limited. Maybe I should open some more hot pot restaurants.
As long as the ingredients are fresh and the broth is good, it's quite easy to open a hot pot restaurant. If the table turnover rate is high and the turnover is fast, the profits can be quite considerable.
After eating and drinking their fill, the group leisurely strolled home to digest their food.
This time I didn't see those two annoying people again, but there was still someone standing at the door.
"Wei Hong, what are you doing here?" Zhao Qinglan exclaimed with delight as soon as she recognized her.
"I went to Qingju's house to wish her a Happy New Year, and when I heard that you were arriving today, I came to look for you. I didn't expect that you weren't home."
Zhao Qinglan quickly unlocked the door. "You must be freezing. Come inside and warm up."
The old man was getting on in years and felt sleepy after eating. He said a few words to Wei Hong and then went back to his room to rest.
Zhao Qinglan sent the children off to play, and Ding Yu and Liu Dandan returned to their room as well.
Zhao Qinglan brewed some tea and sat down with Wei Hong in the room.
"Wei Hong, is something wrong?" She asked only when the children were no longer around.
"I can't come to see you if there's nothing wrong," Wei Hong said with a smile.
"Of course not. By the way, how have you been lately?"
"Me? I'm still the same as always. But Qinglan, I've earned my first pot of gold." She learned this phrase from Zhao Qinglan.
"Really? That's wonderful!" Zhao Qinglan was genuinely happy for her friend.
"Let me tell you..."
Zhao Qinglan's courtyard suddenly became lively, and the surrounding neighbors naturally knew about it.
There are no secrets in the alley, and only Zhao Qinglan's detached house allows her to feel a little safe.
For example, when Zhao Qinglan and her group were stopped from going out, someone saw it.
Because Zhao Qinglan's family rarely stayed in this courtyard, even though Grandpa Dou had said many times that he was just looking after the courtyard for someone else, some neighbors still didn't believe him and thought the house belonged to him.
This is why the Dou couple believed it without a doubt after inquiring about it.
Not to mention the Dou couple who had designs on this courtyard, even some neighbors were envious of the old man living alone in such a courtyard.
However, those who tried to curry favor with the old man with ill intentions were all turned away by him, both openly and subtly.
"Mom, I saw a young man in that family who is about the same age as my sister. You've always been reluctant to let my sister marry someone from far away, right? My sister is pretty, so why don't we find a chance to get to know that young man?"
In a house not far away in the alley, a woman in her thirties made a suggestion to her mother-in-law.
Zhao Qinglan was unaware that her son was being targeted because of her family's courtyard.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
