Chapter 543: Relatives After the Estate

“Ma Da, for this trip abroad, you must remember: once you get those items, you must protect them for me. No matter what, bring everything back completely intact.”

“Yes, Young Mistress!”

“Yun Cheng, I’ve already arranged for that two-billion special fund to be transferred. Uncle Zhu will handle things on the BS side, so the red tape should be easy to cut through. Since you’re overseeing the overall situation there, besides managing Wanlong Plaza and Wanlong Supermarket affairs, you must also supervise the school construction for our donations. If even one of those school buildings has problems, it’ll cause immense damage to Wanlong Society Group’s reputation.”

“If someone is blind enough to cut corners, you know what to do, right?”

“Understood! Wanlong Society is a legitimate corporation!”

“Mm!”

“………..”

Afterward, Liu Yutong discussed the relevant details with them meticulously.

Meanwhile, across the hall in apartment 502—home of their neighbor Auntie Zhang.

Auntie Zhang had just put away her groceries when her son, Huang Daqiang, stumbled out of his bedroom yawning, heading for the bathroom. He’d worked the night shift and only gotten back that morning.

“Mom, did I just hear something from across the hall? Someone’s in 501?” Huang Daqiang asked through his yawn.

“Mm, Yaya’s back. That young woman who adopted her brought people to pack everything up. Says she’s taking Yaya to live in Pearl City.”

Auntie Zhang sighed. “Ah, that poor child… Thank goodness she met someone good.”

Huang Daqiang’s eyes darted around. He walked over and lowered his voice. “Mom, is that the young, beautiful woman you mentioned before?”

Auntie Zhang nodded. “Yes, what about it?”

“Mom, I find this a bit suspicious. Why would someone so young want to adopt a burden like Yaya? You’re well aware of Yaya’s family situation.”

Auntie Zhang was startled. “What do you mean?”

“This old house!”

Huang Daqiang wore a “how do you still not get it” expression. “Our complex might be in a remote area, but it’s still property. Worth at least two or three hundred thousand, right? Plus, Yaya’s dad’s accident—the perpetrator was caught. There’s got to be compensation. That adds up to quite a sum.”

“Yaya’s so young. She’s now the sole heir. That house, that compensation money—won’t it all go to that woman? I’m telling you, those people are after exactly that. In name it’s adoption, but they’re really after Yaya’s assets.”

Auntie Zhang found her son’s analysis somewhat plausible, but when it clicked, she immediately fumed and jabbed his forehead hard. “What nonsense are you spouting?!”

“The filth running through your mind! That young lady is clearly no ordinary person! That bearing, that entourage—does she look like someone who lacks a few hundred thousand? I believe she genuinely cares for Yaya! At the accident scene that day, you didn’t see the way she looked at her, like she was looking at her own little sister. You keep spreading such slander and I’ll tear your mouth apart!”

Huang Daqiang shrank back from the scolding but remained defiant. “You can’t judge a book by its cover. These days, what won’t people do for money? Mom, yesterday afternoon some people were sneaking around downstairs asking about Yaya’s family, probing deep. Stuff like who else is in the family, whose name is on the house, and so on.”

Auntie Zhang immediately became alert. “Who were they?”

Huang Daqiang shook his head. “Don’t know them. Didn’t look like decent folk—all sharp features and shifty eyes.”

“I was just about to leave for work. They asked if I knew Yaya. I deliberately said no, and they left. I’m guessing they’re probably distant relatives from Yaya’s dad’s or mom’s side. Heard about Yaya’s dad’s accident, saw that Yaya’s young, and want to come take advantage, grab the family assets.”

Auntie Zhang’s heart sank.

Yaya’s parents were both only children; the older generation was gone. But there were indeed some distant relatives—people they’d long stopped associating with.

The reason was simple: they were afraid of being asked to lend money; they looked down on the poor.

Now they suddenly emerged, and they definitely had ill intentions.

“These people are truly wicked!”

“When Yaya’s parents were alive, they never helped out with a single cent. Now the people are gone, and they’re eyeing their property.”

“Exactly!”

“So I say,” Huang Daqiang continued, “those people across the hall might also be—”

“You’re still talking!”

Auntie Zhang glared. “Go take your dump! Stop gossiping!”

Huang Daqiang went off to the bathroom, dejected.

The more Auntie Zhang thought about it, the more anxious she became. Though this matter had nothing to do with her, after all, she’d watched Yaya grow up. Plus, her sense of justice was acting up, making her feel uncomfortable all over.

After thinking it over, she decided to go across the hall to warn that young lady, to prevent Yaya from actually being snatched away.

After all, theoretically, Yaya’s relatives would have a stronger claim in a custody battle than someone without blood ties.

However, trouble arrived right on cue.

Just as Auntie Zhang was about to go talk to her neighbor, a commotion and the sound of people climbing the stairs suddenly came from the hallway.

“This is it, 501! I told you someone was here. Yaya must be back!”

“Quick! Don’t let that girl be taken away! She’s the blood of the Jing family. She must be raised by the Jing family!”

Auntie Zhang’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly opened the door.

She saw five or six people in the hallway. Leading them was a couple around fifty years old. The man was dark and thin, wearing a tank top and shorts. The woman had permed wavy hair and bright red lipstick.

Behind them followed several younger men and women, each with an impatient expression on their faces.

They were precisely Yaya’s paternal uncle, Jing Fu, and his wife, Wang Jinhua—from her father’s side, people who almost never visited—along with their son, daughter-in-law, and others.

Yaya’s surname was one of those rare ones: Jing, given name Yao.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Auntie Zhang came out and blocked the stairway.

Wang Jinhua stood with hands on hips, sizing up Auntie Zhang. “Oh, who did I think it was? So it’s Sister Zhang. We’re here to find our family’s Yaya, take her home. What are you, an outsider, doing blocking the way?”

“Take Yaya home?”

Auntie Zhang spoke without a hint of courtesy: “What kind of family members are you to Yaya? When Yaya’s parents were alive, you never showed your face all year round. Now that they’re gone, you pop up? I think you’re weasels paying respects to a chicken—no good intentions!”

Yaya’s uncle Jing Fu’s face darkened. “Sister Zhang, you’re speaking incorrectly. No matter what, I’m Yaya’s dad’s older brother, Yaya’s proper uncle. Her parents are gone. If we elders don’t care for her, who will? Are we supposed to just let her be taken away by some shady characters?”

“Exactly!”

Wang Jinhua echoed shrilly: “We heard that some woman from who-knows-where wants to take Yaya away. Who knows what she is? What if she’s a human trafficker? A child of the Jing family can’t be left to wander. Where’s Yaya? Hurry and get her out to come with us! And this house needs someone to watch over it too. Can’t let outsiders get a good deal!”

“Move aside!” She moved forward to push Auntie Zhang.

Auntie Zhang simply wouldn’t budge. “Don’t even think about it. Yaya’s already been adopted by proper people who treat her extremely well. We don’t need your fake concern. I think you’re just after Yaya’s house and compensation money!”

“You’re full of shit!”

A thuggish young man pointed at Auntie Zhang and cursed: “Old hag, don’t be shameless! This is our family’s business. What gives you, an outsider, the right to interfere? Get lost now! Or I won’t be polite to you!”

Auntie Zhang: “Who are you calling an old hag? Have you no upbringing? This is my doorway. I’ll stand here if I want. What’s it to you? Try hitting me!”

“You’re grown adults and you want to rob a child’s property? Have you no respect for the law?!”

“Law? I AM the law!”

emboldened by his numbers, Jing Fu simply turned thuggish. “Today we must take Yaya away! The keys to this house must be handed over too! Who knows if you aren’t in cahoots with that woman, scheming to swallow up our Jing family’s property.”

“Right! Hand over Yaya! Hand over the keys!”

The others joined in the clamor. The situation was about to escalate into pushing and violence when—

Huang Daqiang, hearing the commotion from the bathroom, rushed out hitching up his pants. Fuming, he shouted, “What’s going on! What’s going on! Want to fight? Coming to bully people at our doorstep?!”

“Let me tell you, don’t think you can act arrogant and bully people just because you have numbers! I know plenty of friends. You keep this up, I’ll call my people!”

Yaya’s cousin, Jing Hu, laughed uproariously at these words.

“Hahaha, you? Calling your people?”

“Do you know who I roll with? You know Scarface from XX Street? That’s my big brother! I can call dozens of people with just one call. If you know what’s good for you, get lost!”