dognovel Chapter 386 Demolition
Chapter 386 Demolition
"Brother, me too!" A little girl who had been hiding to the side lit up instantly upon hearing this and rushed over from the corner.
"Are you together?" Jiang Yichen crouched down, his posture extremely humble, his eyes full of affection, and gently greeted the two children.
"Yes, he is my brother. Now, only Grandma is left in our family," the little girl answered crisply, her tender voice echoing softly in the air.
“A few years ago, my father heard that this place was going to be demolished, and a woman said she wanted to marry him. But who could have imagined that the woman would take our money and run away without a word? My father was furious and had to go out to work. Now, it's just us and Grandma relying on each other.” The little boy added, his tone carrying a composure and helplessness beyond what an adult should have.
Xu Sisi listened, her face full of heartache, and gently comforted her, "It's alright, this place is really going to be demolished soon, and your father will definitely come back."
"Really? Sister, then come to our house for dinner! Grandma loves to entertain guests, and all the neighbors adore her." The little girl's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she extended the invitation.
"Have a meal? Is that appropriate? We've only just arrived." A thought flashed through my mind, and I frantically searched for a tactful way to decline.
Before I could even come up with a reason to refuse, Song Yang was already being led several steps forward by the little boy.
?
"Momo, do you want to go? Actually, it would be good to go and take a look. After all, only by talking to the locals can we gain a deeper understanding of the situation here." Jiang Yichen turned around and looked at me with gentle, tender eyes.
?
"Since we're already here, let's go take a look." I hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Okay." She answered naturally, taking my hand and following behind them.
When we arrived at the old lady's house with the two children, we were greeted by a slightly dilapidated but meticulously clean courtyard. A few unidentified wildflowers grew in the yard, adding a touch of life to the simple surroundings.
The little boy pushed open the somewhat worn wooden door and called out in a clear voice, "Grandma, we've brought our guests back!"
A slight noise came from inside the house, and then an elderly woman, her body hunched but her spirits high, came out. She had a kind smile on her face.
"Oh, come in, come in! My home is simple, please don't mind the humble surroundings," the old lady greeted us warmly, her voice hoarse but full of warmth.
Xu Sisi smiled and replied, "Grandma, you're too kind. We're the ones who bothered you." With that, he and I followed the old lady into the house.
The room was simply furnished; the furniture was old but spotless. Some yellowed photographs hung on the wall.
The little girl, holding Xu Sisi's hand, skipped and hopped, saying, "Grandma, these older sisters and brothers are so kind! They said they can help us."
A tear welled up in the old woman's eyes as she said gratefully, "Thank you so much. These two children have had such a hard life; you've gone to so much trouble for them."
Just then, a commotion erupted outside. A loud voice shouted, "Old Zhao's family, I heard someone's come asking about the demolition? Don't be fooled!" Immediately afterward, several people who looked like neighbors entered the courtyard.
I looked at the people in front of me and realized I hadn't seen them before.
One of the middle-aged women looked us up and down, her tone tinged with suspicion: "What are you doing here? There are so many scammers these days, especially targeting families like ours whose homes are about to be demolished."
Xu Sisi quickly explained, "Sister, please don't misunderstand. We genuinely want to understand the situation and see if we can help the children."
But the woman persisted: "Help? How can I help? This demolition issue is complicated; don't cause trouble for them later."
The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward, and the old lady quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Everyone, please don't argue. They're just kind-hearted children. Come inside and have some water."
We followed the old lady into the house, and the neighbors followed in with some skepticism.
Suddenly, the little boy remembered something, took out an old notebook from the cabinet, and wrote some words on it.
Seeing this, I felt a little strange. Then, he handed it to us and said, "Sister, brother, this was written by Dad before he passed away. It's about the family property and the demolition compensation. I don't understand it either. Take a look."
Jiang Yichen took the notebook, his fingertips gently stroking the yellowed pages.
The dim light in the room cast shadows of varying depths on his face, and his brows furrowed more and more tightly, as if he were preoccupied with some thorny problem.
I stood beside him, my gaze unconsciously falling on the notebook. The edges of the pages were curled, and in some places, tiny holes had been eaten by worms. Song Yang's finger stopped on one of the pages, where a few lines were written in hasty handwriting. The ink had faded, but the haste of the writing was still evident.
"What's wrong?" I couldn't help but ask, my voice ringing out clearly in the quiet room.
Jiang Yichen raised his head, his eyes serious: "There's a problem with the property rights of this house." He pointed to a certain place in the book, "Look here, back then, that woman not only ran off with the money, but also tampered with the property rights."
My heart sank; I had a vague feeling that things weren't so simple. The air in the room seemed to thicken, making it hard to breathe. The old woman sat on a wooden chair nearby, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her eyes flickering uncertainly. The little girl was still holding Xu Sisi's hand, but her gaze kept drifting towards the notebook, as if she were expecting something, or perhaps afraid of something.
"There's a problem with the property rights?" Xu Sisi repeated softly, a hint of unease in her voice. "Then what about the demolition compensation...?"
Jiang Yichen nodded, closed his notebook, and took a deep breath: "Yes, the compensation might be troublesome. If the property rights are not clear, the demolition compensation may be blocked, or even unavailable."
The atmosphere inside the house suddenly became heavy. The neighbors exchanged glances, and someone muttered, "This is no small matter..." The middle-aged woman frowned, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction, "I knew it! This isn't as simple as it seems. What are you all getting involved for?"
I felt a little uncomfortable and was about to retort when I heard the old lady suddenly speak, her voice trembling slightly: "Then... what can we do? The three of us are counting on this house to make a living..."
Her voice was filled with helplessness and despair, which made my heart clench. The little girl clung tightly to the old woman's arm, her eyes already red. The little boy, on the other hand, had his head down, his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white.
I glanced at Jiang Yichen and noticed that his gaze remained focused, as if he were still pondering something. His profile looked particularly resolute under the light, and he was muttering something to himself, but his voice was very soft, and I couldn't hear it clearly.
After a while, Jiang Yichen finally spoke, his tone calm, "Don't worry, things haven't gotten to the worst yet. We can first find out the specific details of the property rights and see if we can find any clues left by that woman back then."
His words eased the tension in the room slightly. A glimmer of hope rekindled in the old woman's eyes, and even the neighbors stopped being aggressive and began to discuss the matter in hushed tones.
I stood to the side, but I still felt uneasy.
Jiang Yichen's calmness reassured me slightly, but a vague sense of foreboding lingered. The lights in the room flickered, and the photos on the wall appeared particularly blurry in the shadows.