Zheng Youjun's mood was a complex mix of surprise and urgency. His eyes bulged as if they were about to spit fire, and he was enraged in an instant.
"That's ridiculous!" he roared immediately, his voice filled with anger and resentment. "That bastard bought this house with our Zheng family's money—I'm going to go find him and settle this!" He waved his arms furiously, as if he were trying to tear the air apart.
Although Zheng Youjun didn't know how Xiao Ran managed to raise such a large amount of money in such a short time, he was convinced of one thing. Just the morning before, Xiao Ran and his daughter had just gone through a divorce. How could he possibly have come up with 12 million in such a short period? This money must be the couple's joint property, and his Zheng family should rightfully own half of it!
Moreover, as Xiao Ran was a son-in-law who married into the family, he himself was already a part of the Zheng family. Therefore, in Zheng Youjun's opinion, these 12 million were almost entirely the property of the Zheng family. Thinking of this, he felt a sense of elation. His son was about to get married and was short of funds, and this was a gift from heaven.
Zheng Youjun suddenly burst out with astonishing energy, as if he had become ten years younger. He strode forward, running towards Villa 8. Although he wanted to run faster, his age and physical condition limited him, so he could only try to speed up as much as possible. Fortunately, the distance wasn't far, and he soon arrived at his destination.
Upon arriving, Zheng Youjun was stunned by the sight before him. Many elderly men and women had gathered around the villa, all standing outside the yard and peering in through the railing. The yard of the villa was lush with greenery, and the flowers and trees were arranged neatly, making it appear particularly elegant.
"Hey, isn't that Old Zheng?" As soon as they saw Zheng Youjun approaching, the crowd turned and cast羡慕 glances at him. They murmured to each other, saying that the Zheng family had indeed struck a lucky break by marrying such a promising son-in-law.
"Congratulations, Old Zheng!"
"You bought a villa! That's impressive!"
"You don't seem to have much going for you, but you're surprisingly低调."
The compliments and envy from the crowd made Zheng Youjun feel a bit floaty. However, these words did not bring him any joy. He knew clearly that the real owner of this villa was not him, but his former son-in-law, Xiao Ran. Thinking of this, his mood became heavy again. He vowed silently to find a way to claim this villa for himself and make Xiao Ran pay the price!
In Jia Yungui's eyes, this magnificent villa was far from the value of 12 million he had imagined before. He muttered to himself, "This is worth at most 10 million, so Xiao Ran wasted 2 million? Those 2 million were hard-earned money from the Zheng family! It's like blood dripping from my heart!"
Jia Yungui's face turned iron-grey, and he walked heavily towards the outer gate of the villa. Although he knew there was a doorbell hanging next to the door, as a person of his age, he had long been accustomed to solving problems in the most direct way—knocking on the door. So, he used all his strength to bang on the gate, the sound urgent and loud, as if something terrible had really happened.
Inside the villa, Xiao Ran originally thought it was Jia Yungui who had come knocking, but when he saw through the surveillance camera that it was Zheng Youjun, the stubborn old man, he couldn't help but laugh out loud. He had anticipated that his purchase of the villa would spread throughout the neighborhood, and how could Zheng Youjun, a proud man, not come to confront him?
Xiao Ran had no intention of evading. On the contrary, he was looking forward to this moment. He wanted to make the Zheng family feel envy, jealousy, and even regret their decision. How could he let go of this opportunity that came to his doorstep?
He opened the door, walked through the elaborately arranged garden, and arrived at the gate. When he opened the gate, Zheng Youjun was trying to barge in with a fierce air. But Xiao Ran stood in front of him, blocking his way.
Seeing this, Zheng Youjun became even more enraged. He pointed at Xiao Ran's nose and shouted, "You bastard! You used our family's money to buy this villa, and now you dare to block me from entering?"
Xiao Ran remained unaffected. He smiled calmly and said, "Old man, have you forgotten? Zheng Juan and I divorced yesterday. This villa is mine, bought today with my own money. It has nothing to do with your Zheng family."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Youjun was stunned. He stared at Xiao Ran with wide eyes, as if trying to find traces of lies on his face. But Xiao Ran remained calm and showed no sign of fear or retreat.
As soon as this news spread, the neighbors immediately started gossiping. Some elderly women even stared at Xiao Ran with burning eyes, as if he were a rare treasure. They were all thinking that if their daughters could marry a wealthy man like Xiao Ran, the whole family could move into this mansion.
Naturally, Zheng Youjun would not be intimidated by Xiao Ran's few words. He sneered and said, "Xiao Ran, do you think I'm a fool? You and Zheng Juan divorced yesterday, so where did you get so much money to buy this villa? Therefore, this villa is a joint property of the couple, and half of it belongs to our Zheng family!"
As soon as his words fell, there was a chorus of booing from the crowd. Everyone thought that Zheng Youjun was being unreasonable. It was their family that had abandoned Xiao Ran first, and now they wanted a share of the profits. It was too shameless.
Xiao Ran looked at Zheng Youjun's angry face without any emotion. He had anticipated this result, so he had prepared a response. He said calmly, "Old man, if you continue to be unreasonable, I will call the police. Let them judge who this villa belongs to."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Youjun immediately backed down. He knew that there was no benefit in continuing to stir up trouble. He had to leave the villa in disgrace.
It was reasonable for most people to have such a first reaction when they heard that the villa owned by Xiao Ran might be regarded as joint property of the couple. The elderly residents who had just been eager to fight for that considerable wealth were now looking at each other, making calculations in their minds. Yes, if the villa was really considered as joint property, Xiao Ran's 12 million would instantly shrink by half. Then, would Xiao Ran, whose worth had suddenly dropped to 6 million, still be attractive in the neighborhood?
Xiao Ran smiled faintly, a hint of mockery and disdain in his smile. He said calmly, "The division of property is determined by evidence, not just your empty talk! Old man, if you have any issues, go to the court and sue me. Now get out of my house, or I'll call the police—illegal entry into someone's residence could lead to detention for half a month."
Xiao Ran's words startled Zheng Youjun. Although he didn't understand the law well, he knew that illegal entry into someone's residence was illegal. He was frightened and retreated, but his heart was filled with不甘. How could he leave so easily? He had already decided that the villa belonged to their family and was not worth 12 million. He must seize the ownership and sign a new contract with the seller. After all, they had only paid the deposit and had not yet gone to the real estate bureau for the transfer.
Just as Zheng Youjun was hesitating, Lin Meiying also ran over with her grandson in her arms. Upon arriving, she quickly understood the situation and without hesitation began to make a scene. She sat on the ground and started to cry loudly, "That ungrateful brat! He abandoned his wife and child after getting rich. He's really not a good person!"
Although Lin Meiying's words were meant to smear Xiao Ran, they coincidentally matched the truth. Xiao Ran had indeed become wealthy, divorced, and even abandoned his son. These facts had been widely spread in the neighborhood, known to everyone. Therefore, when Lin Meiying started to complain, everyone began to whisper and discuss.
Xiao Ran watched this scene with a sneer. This was exactly the result he wanted. He knew that the Zheng family had always wanted to seize the ownership of the villa, but he had never intended to let them succeed. He deliberately let Zheng Youjun and Lin Meiying lose face and make a fool of themselves in front of everyone, just to make the Zheng family臭掉in the neighborhood and become the target of everyone's condemnation.
"Listen to me, everyone!" Xiao Ran suddenly raised his voice, attracting everyone's attention. "I know you're all talking about me and the Zheng family. But I want to tell you that this villa was bought with my own money and has nothing to do with the Zheng family. Regarding my relationship with the Zheng family, it's our private matter, and I don't want to talk about it here. But there's one thing I can tell you, and that is, I never intended to abandon my wife and child. It was the Zheng family who forced me, forced me to divorce, and forced me to give up my child's custody. Now they even want to seize the ownership of this villa. It's ridiculous!"
Xiao Ran's words caused a stir among the crowd. They hadn't expected there to be so many details behind this. For a moment, their attitude towards Xiao Ran changed subtly. While Zheng Youjun and Lin Meiying stood there pale-faced, as if they had been publicly exposed for some unspeakable secret.
In the small square in the center of the community, the originally harmonious and peaceful atmosphere was broken by a sharp argument. Everyone's attention focused on a middle-aged man who had an iron-faced expression, fierce words, and a voice filled with anger and resentment.
"Why do I have to divorce?" The man, named Xiao Ran, loudly questioned Zheng Youjun and Lin Meiying, "It's simple, Zheng Juan was pregnant with someone else's child before marriage, marrying me was just to cover up the pregnancy, using me as a scapegoat! You really have good family education, raising such a shameless and vicious daughter!"
This sentence was like a heavy bomb, exploding among the crowd. Everyone was talking and disbelieving. Zheng Juan, the woman who was usually gentle and virtuous, actually did such a despicable thing? This was simply beyond their comprehension.
Xiao Ran took a deep breath and continued, "How have I been in your family for four years? Have you ever treated me like a family member? You always ask me to do this and that, and give me all the housework! Even if I work overtime until 10 o'clock at night, I still have to wash the clothes!" His voice was filled with grievance and anger.
"Don't mention conscience to me, you're not worthy!" Xiao Ran's words were like a sharp knife, stabbing harshly into the hearts of Zheng Youjun and his wife. Their faces turned pale, and their eyes were filled with fear and helplessness.
The crowd's murmur grew louder and louder, and they all condemned Zheng Juan's immoral behavior. Seeing this, Lin Meiying immediately screamed, "That's bullshit, my daughter is such a good person, how could she do such a thing? Xiao Ran, you bastard, can you slander my daughter after divorce?"
Zheng Youjun also reacted and angrily charged towards Xiao Ran, wanting to fight him. However, Xiao Ran firmly pushed him back. Although he was not a strong man, it was still easy enough for him to deal with a 60-year-old man.
"Heh, should I mention the name of the adulterer?" Xiao Ran said coldly, "Zheng Juan has always maintained an improper relationship with that adulterer, and I have many videos in my hands."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Youjun and his wife's faces instantly turned pale. Of course, they knew that Xiao Ran was lying, but how dare they bet? If Xiao Ran really took out those videos and played them publicly, how could they still face people?
Seeing that the situation was not right, Lin Meiying immediately dragged her husband and left the scene. As they walked away, she whispered, "Call our son and daughter back to discuss countermeasures."
"But Zheng Juan is still at work--" Zheng Youjun subconsciously said.
Lin Meiying glared at him, "12 million, with that much money, why bother working?"
Zheng Youjun finally realized what she meant and nodded in agreement. They knew that this matter had already caused a lot of commotion, and everyone in the community was talking about it. They must quickly find a way to deal with this crisis...