Chapter 4
Edward Quan ·
“I do. That’s why I haven’t kept score with her for twelve years.”
“You want to live in my home, spend my money, and use my time to care for your daughter. What gives you the right to lecture me about having a conscience?”
Zhao Ming’s chest heaved.
I took out my phone and called the building management, then the police station.
Zhao Xue lunged for my phone.
I turned aside.
“Touch me again, and I’ll give that footage to the police.”
She stopped.
My mother-in-law burst into wails.
“I can’t go on living! My son married a vicious woman who won’t even give me somewhere to spend my old age!”
A neighbor called out from beyond the door, asking what was wrong.
Zhao Ming’s face darkened. He pulled his mother up.
“Let’s go for now.”
Zhao Xue reluctantly put away her phone.
At the door, she turned to glare at me.
“The children still have their father’s surname. Don’t think holding that property certificate means you’ll win forever.”
The door closed. Zhao Ming stayed behind.
He stood in the living room, staring at the red marks on my wrist.
“Wanqing, things have gone this far. Does our marriage mean nothing to you?”
I locked the door.
“Did you think of me at all when you brought your mother here?”
He didn’t answer.
Half an hour later, he sent me a photo.
It was a statement of claim.
The plaintiff was Zhao Ming.
He was asking for one thing:
A ruling that the apartment was joint marital property.
5.
I stared at the photo for a long time before putting my phone down.
He hadn’t handed me the claim. He had sent a photograph, plainly hoping I would give in first.
I sent a short reply.
“See you in court.”
He called immediately.
“Wanqing, are you really going to court against me?”
“You’re the one suing.”
“I just want you to take this family seriously.”
“You think a court is something you can use to scare me?”
He fell silent for a moment.
“Give me half the apartment, and Mom won’t move in.”
I laughed aloud.
“You’re trading my home for a place for your mother. You’ve worked that out nicely.”
“We’re married.”
“My premarital property isn’t part of our joint assets.”
“Who knows whether the money your father used to buy the apartment was a gift he made after we married?”
“Then provide the evidence.”
He said no more.
The summons arrived the next day.
My mother-in-law made a special call.
“You’re really taking my son to court?”
“He’s suing me.”
“Mingming only wanted you to admit you were wrong. Must you make a scene and embarrass everyone?”
“Tell him to withdraw the claim.”
“I raised him. Of course I’m going to stand up for him.”
She hung up.
I filed the summons in a document folder and went to the bank to request statements from more than a decade earlier.
Dad had just found out about his leg injury at the time, but he had still insisted on transferring the proceeds of the house sale to me.
The transfer reference was perfectly clear:
For my daughter’s apartment before marriage.
I had the invoices, purchase contract, and payment records issued by the developer.
Zhao Ming knew all that.
He had sued because his mother was pressuring him.
More precisely, he wanted the lawsuit to force me to surrender.
But before the hearing could even take place, my mother-in-law and Zhao Xue went to the school.
That day, I was bringing the children a water bottle they had forgotten. As I approached the gate, I saw my mother-in-law gripping Zhao Nian’s arm.
My daughter struggled backward.
“Grandma, I need to go back to class.”
“I’m your own grandmother. Why are you trying to get away?”
Zhao Heng stepped in front of her.
“Let go first.”
Zhao Xue shoved him.
“Is that how you speak to your elders?”
He stumbled several steps and hit the fire-hose cabinet by the wall.
I ran over and pulled both children behind me.
“What are you doing at their school?”
Zhao Xue gave a cold smile.
“We’re visiting the children. Is that a problem?”
“From now on, you do not come here to see them without my permission.”
My mother-in-law immediately began to wail.
“I need your permission to see my own grandchildren?”
“They’re in class.”
“You’ve taught them to treat me like a stranger. What’s wrong with me coming to see them?”
Parents stopped at the gate to watch.
Zhao Xue took out her phone.
“Everyone, tell us who’s right. She won’t let her children acknowledge their own grandmother.”
I held up my phone.
“Show everyone the footage of you pushing my son. Let’s all watch.”
Her face changed.
The school gate had security cameras. I had already notified the children’s homeroom teacher.
The teacher came out and drew the children over to her.
“Mrs. Zhao, the school is responsible for students during school hours. Family visits need to be arranged in advance.”
Zhao Xue still wanted to argue, but the security guard was already at the gate.