Chapter 7: Not Paying Rent

"I've never thought that way. This house isn't in my name. It was transferred to my younger brother soon after he was born, you all know that."

Of course, everyone knew about this. Back when they couldn't get their hands on the house, they thought that if it ended up with Mei Mengzhen, it would belong to another family once she married off. So, it seemed better to transfer the house to Mei Mengchen, leading to the incident where the parents at the Mei Family pressured the children to transfer the property.

But now, things were different. The parents of the Mei Family were gone, and Mei Mengchen was only three years old. If they wanted the house, they had to go through Mei Mengzhen. Uncle Mei Yongan said coldly, "Don't try to drag others into this."

"I'm not dragging anyone into this. As long as my brother is willing, the house is yours to take, but…"

"Zhenzhen, do you even know what you're saying?" As soon as Mei Yinan heard this, she couldn't help but yell out, trying to interrupt Mei Mengzhen. But it was too late; the words were out, and several people had heard them, rendering interruption pointless.

Mei Yinan truly hated how quickly Mei Mengzhen spoke; did she not think about the consequences at all?

"Big sister, let her speak. What is this 'but' about?"

"Exactly, why should Big Sister interrupt? I want to hear what she has to say."

"Big Sister, just spit it out now while everyone is here."

"Yes, Big Sister, we're all here. Whatever you think, just say it. Why disrupt the child? You're also Dad's daughter, you won't be left out of your share."

The relatives pitched in one after another, leaving Mei Yinan speechless.

Indeed, the house was about to be demolished, and as a daughter of the father, she naturally had her share.

But still, the two in front of her were children. Was it necessary to be so ruthless?

"Just let me explain," said Mei Mengzhen calmly, "The house is temporarily under my brother's name, and it'll soon be demolished, which is something everybody knows."

Indeed, everyone knew that. The whole area was scheduled for demolition, not just their suite, but the homes of several relatives as well.

That was the advantage of living nearby. When one family's house was demolished, the entire clan faced demolition, helping ensure no one felt envious.

"It's just a year or two at most, and I'll be taking the college entrance exam in a year. The school isn't far from home, and after living here for over a decade, I suppose it wouldn't be too much to stay another year or two, right?"

Mei Mengzhen's request was indeed reasonable. She talked about staying for one or two more years, but in reality, it would end in a year. Given Mei Mengzhen's academic performance, she was almost certain to get into a university, and by then, the house would be vacated. From another perspective, if the siblings went to live with them, they would have to take care of their food and other expenses. It made more sense to let the siblings live independently, releasing them from any responsibility since the house would be empty either way.

But then again.

"We don't have a problem with you staying. Dad has always doted on you, and we don't mind these one or two years, but what if you end up not leaving, huh? What if the demolition compensation ends up all in your pocket?" Aunt Mei Yifan spoke more and more passionately, expressing what was on everyone's minds.

Aunt Mei Yifan among all the sisters was the most outspoken, and not only was she vocal, but she also dared to say anything without thinking about the consequences or using reason. She had pissed off Grandpa so badly several times that no one in the family actually liked her that much. However, at this moment, they needed someone like her to speak such words because no one wanted to be the bad guy.

Mei Mengzhen chuckled, "Don't worry, Auntie, it won't end up in my pocket. If I say it's yours, it's yours. We can sign an agreement, but I have my conditions too."

Uncle Mei Yongfu sneered. He knew it wouldn't be that simple. He felt the child had become too cunning and bluntly said, "This isn't even your house. What right do you have to make conditions?"

"You do have a point, but don't you want to at least hear my conditions? If you don't listen, then there's nothing to discuss today. If my brother and I don't want to move, you can't force us to, can you?" Mei Mengzhen was indifferent. If they couldn't come to an agreement, then things would stay as they were, which everyone surely wouldn't accept.

With the atmosphere soured to this extent, Mei Yinan didn't even know what to say anymore, as none in the family seemed inclined to show a friendly face.

Thinking about how everyone was crying in the hospital just a few days ago, she wondered how much of that was sincere. How intentional was the slap she gave to Mei Mengzhen?

Mei Yinan looked at the faces of the people in the room and found the situation truly ironic.

Uncle Mei Yongfu looked at Mei Yinan and said, "Big Sister, don't make that face anymore. You're not missing out on the money. Who are you showing that face to?" Everyone was in the same boat, so why did she try to act noble?

Mei Yinan retorted bitterly, "We haven't received the money yet, and you all can't hide your greed. Are you going to be satisfied only after you've driven the two children to their deaths?"

Aunt Mei Yifan glanced at Mei Yinan and said, "Big Sister, be reasonable. When did we ever drive the kids to death? Aren't they sitting right here, all safe and sound? Aren't we having a nice discussion?" After saying this, she turned to Mei Mengzhen, "Go ahead, I want to hear your conditions."

Of course, if the conditions were unreasonable, they wouldn't agree.

"It's quite simple. My brother and I will stay in the house until the demolition. All life expenses such as water and electricity can be covered by some money left by our parents, which should be enough for a while. If the house gets demolished before the college entrance exam, we will move out and take care of our lives ourselves. If it's after the exam, even better." If it was demolished before the exam, it wasn't just her who would have no place to live; it would be the same for every family, so sorting it out themselves was only fair.

Of course, the house would definitely be demolished after the college entrance exam. She knew it, but couldn't state it so confidently. Mei Mengzhen glanced at the family members in the room and continued, "But we won't transfer the property before the demolition. With so many of you, to whom shall we transfer it? Also, after the demolition, you surely won't want the house; you'll want the compensation to be paid directly to you. But, we won't pay rent for the time we live here."

As soon as Mei Mengzhen said this, the room instantly erupted into chaos.

"What do you mean by that? Do you think we'd charge you rent?"

"Exactly, you've lived here for more than a decade. Have we ever asked you for a penny of rent?"

"You've got quite the cunning thoughts, don't you? We haven't even agreed, and you're already talking about rent."

Mei Yinan looked coldly at these people. Although she was upset by Mei Mengzhen taking matters into her own hands, Mei Mengzhen's precaution wasn't wrong. If they didn't clarify things now, who knows, they might really charge rent, considering what people might do for money. But,

"Zhenzhen, do you understand what this means? Do you know the value of a house? You're only thinking about this one year of college exams, but what about after that? We're well aware of how much money your parents can have, at most enough for a year. And then, how will you handle the university tuition and living expenses? Can you even manage it?" Mei Yinan advised earnestly but still blamed Mei Mengzhen for not being more steadfast.