Chapter 3

She quickly sent a voice message.

“My daughter is about to start school, and I have to go with her to another city. It won’t be convenient for Mom to stay with me. You two have so many rooms. What’s wrong with leaving one empty?”

I opened the recording, converted it to text, and forwarded her my mother-in-law’s words.

“You think owning a house means you’ve won? My son has the Zhao name, and both children have the Zhao name too.”

Zhao Xue fell silent.

A few seconds later, she sent one line:

“You’ll regret what you said today.”

Zhao Ming came over to me.

“Did you send Mom’s words to Xiaoxue?”

“I only forwarded them verbatim.”

“What are you trying to do?”

I put my phone on the table.

“Make sure they remember clearly who is asking whom for something.”

Zhao Ming stared at me for a long time, then suddenly said:

“Mom is moving here tomorrow. You can’t stop her.”

Sure enough, the next afternoon Zhao Ming brought my mother-in-law back.

This time, Zhao Xue and her husband, Zhou Kaixuan, came along too.

Zhou Kaixuan carried two suitcases. After entering, he didn’t even look at me; he wheeled them straight to the main bedroom door.

Zhao Xue wore a new outfit and held a stack of papers.

“Sister-in-law, let’s talk clearly today about how we’re going to care for Mom in her old age.”

I sat in the living room. I had already taken the children to a classmate’s house.

“Go ahead.”

My mother-in-law sat in the middle of the sofa, with Zhao Ming standing behind her.

Zhou Kaixuan put an agreement on the coffee table.

“Mom is getting old and needs someone to care for her. We’re all family. Taking turns supporting her is the fairest arrangement.”

I opened the agreement.

It said that Zhao Ming would be responsible for my mother-in-law’s daily care, his household would provide her with a place to live, and Zhao Xue would pay 1,000 yuan a month for living expenses.

A thousand yuan wouldn’t even cover her medicine.

“How exactly are we taking turns?”

Zhao Xue lifted her chin.

“Our place isn’t suitable. Mom can live at your place for three years, then come to ours for a year.”

“Your place isn’t suitable because you took Mom’s house.”

“She gave it to me willingly.”

“So now that she has nowhere to live, she has to occupy my home?”

My mother-in-law slapped the table.

“What do you mean, occupy? My son was born here. What’s wrong with my staying in a few rooms?”

“I own the house.”

“My son lives here too.”

At last, Zhao Ming spoke.

“Wanqing, this agreement is only to protect Mom’s rights. Just sign it.”

“Who drafted it?”

Zhao Xue replied, “I consulted someone. Everything is in accordance with the law.”

“Then call that person and have them explain it.”

She did not answer.

I took out my phone and called the real-estate agent.

The agent who had sold the house years ago had kept in touch with my father. Later, I had also asked him to help with the paperwork when I bought this home.

The call connected. I put it on speaker.

“Uncle Chen, if someone buys a house with their own money before marriage, their spouse contributes nothing after marriage, and the ownership remains solely in the buyer’s name, does the spouse have the right to demand to move in?”

The voice on the other end answered clearly.

“The property belongs to the person named on the deed. Whether someone may actually live there requires the owner’s consent. The marital relationship alone cannot replace that permission.”

Zhao Xue’s expression turned ugly.

I ended the call and pushed the agreement back.

“I’m not signing.”

Zhao Ming picked up the agreement.

“Don’t make this difficult for the whole family.”

“The person who should feel awkward is the one using someone else’s home to arrange their parent’s retirement.”

Zhou Kaixuan finally looked up.

“Sister-in-law, Mom is old. You have two spare rooms. Everyone can compromise a little.”

“The rooms are for my children.”

“What’s wrong with the kids sharing a room?”

“Then tell your daughter to come live in one room with them.”

Zhou Kaixuan’s expression stiffened.

Zhao Xue jumped to her feet.

“Song Wanqing, don’t be so nasty.”

“Then take your papers home.”

My mother-in-law suddenly picked up her teacup and hurled it at the floor.

It shattered against the tiles.

“I’m staying here today. No one can make me leave!”

Zhao Ming bent to support her.

“Mom, don’t get angry.”

I took out the cardboard box I had prepared and started putting my mother-in-law’s clothes inside.

“If you insist on staying, I’ll have to call the police.”

Zhao Ming grabbed my wrist tightly.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Let go.”

“If you call the police today, tomorrow I’ll take the children away.”

Everyone in the room froze at those words.

I looked at him.

“Go ahead and try.”

Zhao Ming tightened his grip.

Zhao Xue immediately took out her phone and pointed it at me.

“Sister-in-law, I’ve recorded you pushing Mom and hitting Brother Ming.”

“What did you record?”

“You were trying to throw an elderly person out.”

“I never touched her.”

“Who saw that?”

I raised a hand and opened the front-door security camera footage.

The video clearly showed the entire sequence: my mother-in-law smashing the teacup, Zhao Ming grabbing my wrist, and Zhao Xue taking out her phone to record.