"The courtyard belongs to your aunt. She’s the one who assigns the rooms. If she tells him to move, he wouldn’t dare refuse," Grandpa said.

Jie Anlin understood perfectly. The courtyard was his aunt’s, so she had the final say. His uncle had no voice in the matter. When he was a child, Grandpa and Granny had wanted to bring him along and move in with his uncle and aunt, but his aunt had refused. So, Granny had gone to his uncle and raised a huge fuss. The commotion was so great it even brought over the ladies from the neighborhood committee.

Granny had accused his uncle and aunt of being unfilial, throwing a fit by crying, screaming, and threatening to hang herself. Since his aunt wouldn’t yield, his uncle was helpless. Ultimately, Granny only compromised after the ladies from the neighborhood committee mediated. That was the worst tantrum Granny had ever thrown—she had even slung a rope over a roof beam—but she still ended up failing.

Grandpa and Granny’s living expenses, money for medicine when they were sick, and all sorts of other miscellaneous costs were all covered by his uncle’s family. Only then was Granny satisfied.

"An Lin, you should also persuade your granny. Tell her to give up on that room. It’s perfectly reasonable for Jing Si to have his brother-in-law stay there," Grandpa said to Jie Anlin. ’The old lady will listen to him.’

"Granny, listen to Grandpa. There’s a toilet in the courtyard, so it doesn’t matter which room you stay in. Toilets stink, and it’ll be even smellier if you’re cooped up in your room. The stench will affect your sleep," Jie Anlin reasoned. ’In his eyes, all toilets were like public ones, and they were so smelly!’

"Their toilet doesn’t stink," Granny said, not giving up. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Since when is there a toilet that doesn’t stink?" Jie Anlin glanced at the room Jing Qi was staying in. ’He didn’t dare suggest Jing Qi move out to let Grandpa and Granny have the room. Jing Wu spoiled Jing Qi rotten, and when it came to anything concerning him, Jing Wu became completely unhinged.’

"Fine, I won’t fight over it anymore," Granny said, putting on a pitiful act. "I already have one foot in the grave. I’m happy as long as I have a bed to sleep on."

"Granny, what nonsense are you talking about? You and Grandpa will both live to be a hundred," Jie Anlin said, gripping her hand tightly, his face full of sincerity.

"Hehe." Granny was delighted by his coaxing. She raised her other hand and stroked his face. "Granny’s good grandson. Granny didn’t dote on you for nothing. Good grandson, don’t go back to work. Just stay here tonight. After your aunt gives us the money, I’ll take you to the apothecary tomorrow to get some medicine."

"Old woman," Grandpa interjected. "Let An Lin go back. We’ll go back to the machinery factory to get him tomorrow."

’This wasn’t their home; they were living under someone else’s roof too. How could they just invite An Lin to stay? Their eldest son’s wife would raise hell with him. They had already been responsible for ruining his first marriage; they couldn’t destroy his second one as well.’

"The machinery factory is far from the apothecary, but this place is close. Besides, I’m not asking An Lin to move in, just to stay for one night. I gave birth to my eldest son! Don’t I even have that little bit of authority?" Granny demanded.

"This is our eldest daughter-in-law’s courtyard," Grandpa reminded her.

"So what if it’s her courtyard? She married our eldest son, so this courtyard is his. It belongs to our Jie family," Granny said.

"Granny, forget it. I’ll just go home first. If Uncle sees me here, he’ll definitely think you’re asking Aunt for money to spend on me," Jie Anlin said.

"But it is for you," Granny muttered. "It’s my money. I can give it to whomever I please. No one can tell me what to do."

Qin Mei stood by the window, listening to their conversation, especially Granny’s words. ’They haven’t even gotten the money yet, isn’t it a bit early to be saying things like that?’

Qin Mei closed the window and drew the curtains. She couldn’t listen anymore, or their conversation would completely shatter her worldview.

"What’s wrong?" Jie Jingchen asked, coming out of the bathroom and seeing Qin Mei sitting dazedly on the edge of the bed.

Qin Mei planted her hands on the bed and looked up at the approaching Jie Jingchen. "Your granny is a real piece of work."

Jie Jingchen smiled without a word, sat down beside her, and wrapped a long arm around her, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Jie Jingchen, I’m starting to regret it. A thousand was too little. I should have asked for ten thousand," Qin Mei said, her head resting against his chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat.

"Whether it’s a thousand or ten thousand, they’ll just ask my mom for the money," Jie Jingchen said, his long fingers twisting a lock of her black hair, coiling and uncoiling it.

Qin Mei fell silent.

"But..." Jie Jingchen paused before continuing, "This time, they’re going to come away empty-handed."

"Why?" Qin Mei looked up at Jie Jingchen. ’With her mother-in-law’s personality, any problem that could be solved with money, she would absolutely solve with money.’

Jie Jingchen lowered his gaze, his eyes holding a deep meaning as he looked at Qin Mei. "My mom gave you her passbook."

"I don’t believe Mom only has one passbook," Qin Mei said. ’Even Jing Qi doesn’t put all his eggs in one basket; I refuse to believe my mother-in-law would.’

"It doesn’t matter how many passbooks Mom has. What’s important is that she gave her passbook to you," Jie Jingchen said.

Qin Mei didn’t quite understand. "From the way you say it, does this mean since the passbook is with me, I’m the one who’s supposed to give the money to Grandpa and Granny?"

’Withdraw the money to give to Granny, only for Granny to give it back to me? Is such a pointless step really necessary?’

Jie Jingchen chuckled and shook his head. "It’s not your responsibility to support them. If Granny needs money and my mom has no money, shouldn’t she know to ask her own son for it?"

’Mom’s money would be inherited by the three of them, but Dad’s money wouldn’t be inherited by just the three of them.’

"Does your dad have money?" Qin Mei asked doubtfully. ’Her father-in-law’s earnings should reasonably be handed over to her mother-in-law for safekeeping. The amount wasn’t important; what mattered was the gesture.’

"Yes," Jie Jingchen said with certainty.

"Doesn’t Dad give his earnings to Mom to manage?" Qin Mei asked, confused.

Jie Jingchen shook his head. "My dad keeps all the money he earns for himself. Ever since he married my mom, all the household expenses have been paid by her, including the money for Granny and Grandpa."

The phrase "rich and arrogant" popped into Qin Mei’s head, along with the label "Phoenix Man."

"When Mom gets home from work, I need to have a word with her," Qin Mei decided. ’Money should be spent wisely, not on people who don’t deserve it.’

"Here, this is for you." Jie Jingchen took the IOU written by Grandpa out of his pocket and placed it in Qin Mei’s hand.

Qin Mei sat up straight, looking down at the IOU in her hand. ’They hadn’t gotten a single cent back from Jing Wu’s two-thousand-yuan IOU; this one-thousand-yuan IOU was even more hopeless. What’s the use of an IOU? Only cash in hand is real.’ "What’s the difference between this and a piece of scrap paper?"

"Scrap paper?" Jie Jingchen’s smile widened as he gently pinched the tip of her nose. "Qin Mei, this isn’t scrap paper. It’s an IOU for a thousand yuan."

"You think your granny will honor it... No, she’ll acknowledge the debt, but she’ll never pay up," Qin Mei said, swatting away the large hand pinching her nose.

"If Granny won’t pay, you can ask Dad to," Jie Jingchen reminded her.

"Ask Dad to pay?" Qin Mei’s head drooped. "You think your dad will pay?"

"The son pays the mother’s debt," Jie Jingchen said with a smile. ’He never expected Granny to pay up in the first place. The only reason she’d so readily told Grandpa to write the IOU was because she had no intention of paying. Forget a thousand; she’d have dared to write one for ten thousand. Since she never planned to pay it back, and she was the elder, what could he, a junior, do to her?’

"Your granny has more than one son, you know," Qin Mei said, her confidence waning even further. ’It’s all one family. Her father-in-law wouldn’t take it seriously; he’d just think they were fooling around.’

"If Dad refuses to pay, I have another way," Jie Jingchen said, giving Qin Mei an enigmatic look.

"What way?" Qin Mei asked.

"Give the IOU to Mom. When Granny asks Mom for money, Mom can just give her this IOU. It’s a real debt; Granny put her thumbprint on it. She can’t deny it," Jie Jingchen explained.