Chapter 6 Ownership Issues

As soon as Mei Yinan finished speaking, Mei Mengchen reacted just as he had in his previous life, bursting into tears. He hurried to Mei Mengzhen's side and clung to her arm, saying, "I don't want to leave my sister, I want to stay with her, I don't want to go to someone else's house."

Mei Mengzhen had intended to make amends, so she had treated her younger brother particularly well in the past few days, quickly filling the gap left by their parents in her brother's heart.

Of course, the place their neglectful parents held in her brother's heart wasn't much, to begin with.

Mei Mengzhen was brought back to reality by her brother's crying. Seeing him holding onto her arm and crying made her feel deeply saddened.

"How can you say someone else's house, they're all your uncles," but in the end, they were outsiders. Moving in would mean depending on others. Mei Yinan sighed and was about to say more when Mei Mengzhen stopped her, saying firmly, "Auntie, I'm grown up now, and I want to live alone with my brother. We won't go anywhere."

"Nonsense! You're about to be in your senior year of high school, how will you have time to take care of him? You might not even manage to take care of yourself." After all, Mei Mengzhen's grades were average, barely scraping into a third-tier university. If her college prospects were affected and she couldn't get in, how would she manage? These were Mei Yinan's thoughts, but she did not voice them aloud.

"Auntie, I'm already 17. I understand what I need to, and taking the two of us in really isn't a big deal. The burden is too much; it would actually be better for us to live on our own. Plus, Chenchen doesn't want to be separated from me."

Mei Mengchen quickly nodded, "I don't want to be apart from my sister, I just want to be with her."

"He's still a child and doesn't understand, but don't you get it? You'll be in your senior year soon. What time do you finish classes with morning and evening study sessions, and what time does Chenchen have to go to kindergarten and get out? Your schedules won't match at all. Even if you somehow make it through this year, what about when you go to college? Are you not going to attend college and stay home to take care of your brother?" Mei Yinan raised very practical issues, indeed challenges that Mei Mengzhen would soon have to face.

But these problems weren't unsolvable.

"I can apply with the school to not attend evening study sessions, so I would get out at 5 or 6 pm. The kindergarten has extended care, and I can pick up my brother after school. As for the morning," she really had a conflict there, as senior year began very early, and she would definitely be late after dropping off her brother, "I will drop him off early."

"I can go by myself, I know where the kindergarten is." Mei Mengchen raised his head, which had been buried in Mei Mengzhen's arm, and shouted loudly. He did indeed know the location, as their mother, before her death, had taken him to register there. He remembered, and besides, the kindergarten wasn't far. It was within the area; he wouldn't get lost.

"Even if you know the way, I can't let you go alone. What if someone abducts you?" Mei Mengzhen would never agree to let him go to school by himself, no matter what. If necessary, they would spend money to hire a nanny specifically for the cooking and pick-up, although finding the right person might not be immediate.

As for money, there was even less to worry about. The vegetables from the space tasted so good that as long as there was an opportunity to make money, these issues would not pose a problem. Furthermore, their parents had left a bit of savings. It wasn't much, but it would be enough to get through some difficult times. There was also still plenty of jewelry and gold in the space. If worse came to worst, they could sell some. She was no longer the Mei Mengzhen of her previous life. With such an advantage, if she could not change the path of her previous life, then she would be too incompetent.

Actually, aside from hiring a nanny, there was one person who truly could lend a helping hand, and that was the aunt. The kindergarten that Mei Mengchen attended was near the aunt's workplace, and the aunt passed by their home every day on her way to work. The route aligned with the aunt's home, their home, the kindergarten, and the aunt's workplace, forming a straight line. It would be perfect if the aunt could help with picking up and dropping off her brother at school.

It could be done, but she could not simply ask this favor of her. They were family, and helping was a kindness, but not helping was their right. It would be utterly wrong and presumptuous for her to take for granted that the aunt would take on this responsibility.

Seeing the siblings before her, Mei Yinan felt a surge of irritation, "I... ."

Before Mei Yinan could say what she was thinking, there came another round of knocking at the door.

"It's probably your great-uncle, your second aunt, your youngest aunt, and your youngest uncle coming over. Go open the door."

"The door isn't locked~~~~~." As Mei Mengzhen bellowed her response, several relatives pushed the door open and walked in.

All the relatives had pretty much gathered at their house. Mei Mengzhen swiftly boiled water for tea and made a cup for everyone, even bringing a glass of milk to her brother. Then, they all sat down.

Well, time to chat.

The atmosphere was rather tense because, during the tea-making, Mei Yinan had given everyone a brief account of the conversation among the three of them earlier.

Though her recounting was more of a complaint about Mei Mengzhen's lack of understanding, and their general consensus was disagreement.

When Mei Mengzhen came and sat down, everyone looked at her with unclear intentions, but out of respect for Mei Yinan's face, no one spoke up.

After everyone settled down, Mei Yinan was the first to say, "This is the situation. We've come here because of the two children's matters. Zhenzhen, please express your opinion first."

"My opinion is that I plan to live here with my brother," she said.

Her youngest uncle, Mei Yongfu, snorted coldly, "If you want to live here, then just live here, but who does this house belong to? Did you get our permission?"

Her youngest aunt, Mei Yifan, nodded in agreement, "This house belongs to your grandfather, my father. We never agreed when it was given to you; however, our father was adamant and we couldn't stop him. But everyone has to be fair, is this house yours? You say stay and continue to stay?"

"Aren't we discussing where my brother and I belong right now? Why bring up this house? Besides, it's not mine to begin with."

Mei Mengzhen was remarkably calm, aware that these relatives were interested in the house left by their grandfather. As his children, it was natural for them to inherit it, but their grandfather had bypassed them and given it specifically to her, causing dissatisfaction among everyone. After their grandfather passed away, they often made trouble over the house, but her parents weren't pushovers and the relatives didn't get their way back then. Now, with only her and her brother left, wouldn't they seize the opportunity to take the house back?

However, Mei Mengzhen truly had no intention of hoarding the house. Setting aside that the house was no longer hers, even if it had been, she had no intentions of keeping it. The house was nothing but a problem to her, both before and after the demolition.

Yet, currently only 17 and soon to be in her senior year, even if she wanted to make money, she didn't have much time. Renting elsewhere would be another expense, so she must stay in the house, but only temporarily. She believed that if it were just temporary, these people wouldn't oppose her as much. After all, no lines had been crossed between them, and they surely wouldn't let two minors end up homeless.

"What are you planning, to take over the house and not give it back?" Her youngest aunt Mei Yifan glared at her venomously as if ready to pounce the moment Mei Mengzhen agreed.