Chapter 526 - 556: You Just Want to Sell My House
If her grandfather and grandmother hadn’t favored boys over girls their whole lives, and if they weren’t still clinging to that mindset—not to mention the things they’d said at the hospital—Qin Jiao would have gladly brought the elderly couple to North City to care for them.
But as things stood, if she brought them to North City, they wouldn’t be grateful. They would just think it was her duty.
On top of that, they would demand she bring Xiao Tao along too. They would expect her to cover all his expenses without question—not just his schooling, but even paying for him to get married in the future.
Who would be willing to put up with that?
The group returned to the old family home. The once-bustling estate was now cold and deserted.
Old Mrs. Qin, her hair completely white, froze on the spot. She was still holding a pig-feeding ladle as she watched her husband get wheeled back in.
"Is your illness cured?"
Mr. Qin shot her a cold glare. "What, were you hoping I’d die too?"
"I wasn’t..."
"Hurry up and go make some food! I’m hungry!"
Having been scolded by Mr. Qin for almost her entire life, the old woman meekly went to cook. Su Yun let out a soft sigh and turned to help in the kitchen.
’Even though things were so tense, she should still show the elders some respect for her husband’s sake.’
Qin Bogang and Qin Zhonghui had gone out to gather everyone, intending to summon their clansmen and the village chief for a discussion. Meanwhile, Qin Jiao and her sister, Xiao Shi, went into the small house their family used to live in.
Xiao Shi reached out to touch a dilapidated old storage chest. "Sis," she said, "whenever you brought me tasty treats, I’d hide them in here because I was worried Xiao Tao would take them. One time, it was so hot that the milk candies I hid melted all over my clothes."
"All our past hardships were just to make the future sweeter. Others might not see it, but I know for a fact that life for our family will only get better from now on," Qin Jiao said with conviction.
A smile lit up Xiao Shi’s face, and she nodded emphatically. "Yeah!"
A short while later, the village chief and the clan elders had been gathered outside. The last time they were all summoned was to divide up the family property. Now, the old men looked at Old Man Qin, who was lying on the bed with a dark, ashen face, and exchanged uneasy glances.
Finally, it was the village chief who asked Qin Bogang, "Eldest of the Qin family, what’s going on here? What’s happened to your family?"
Qin Bogang said, "Our third brother got into trouble, and now my dad’s not well. He needs to go to a big city for treatment. Zhong Hui and I have discussed it, and we plan to take him to North City to see a doctor."
The village chief replied, "That’s a serious matter. Of course he needs treatment if he’s sick."
Qin Bogang continued, "My dad’s illness is very serious. So, we’ve gathered all you uncles and elders here today to discuss selling this old house. Zhong Hui and I will take care of our parents from now on, regardless."
Before anyone else could respond, Mr. Qin’s eyes narrowed. "What’s the meaning of this? You’re going to sell my house?!"
Qin Zhonghui added from the side, "Dad, your treatment is going to cost a lot of money. That’s why all our family’s houses have to be sold—including the ones you already gave to me and my big brother, as well as these last two."
The plan was to sell the houses to pay for their father’s treatment. Qin Bogang and Qin Zhonghui had already agreed that the two of them would support their parents afterward.
Frankly, there was nothing wrong with this plan. The village chief asked, "What kind of illness is it?"
"Cancer."
Over on the bed, Mr. Qin sneered. "Cancer? Don’t give me that! You’re just trying to scare me to get my money! I’ll tell you what. Go ahead and sell your two houses, but you are not to sell the third son’s large, tile-roofed house! If you sell it, where is he going to live when he gets out? You two have your own nests to go back to. Do you want your own flesh-and-blood brother to be thrown out on the street with nothing?"