The heavens set sail from the courtyard

Manny remained adamant about not letting Aunt Qin live in that old house.

That old house held a different meaning for her; it was not only the place where she spent her childhood, but also the only happy memories her family of three had.

Lawyer Yao Yao tried to persuade Manny for a long time, but she remained unmoved. In the end, sweat broke out on Yao Yao's forehead.

Seeing that the two were at an impasse, Wang Gang suggested to Manny, "Why don't we each compromise? It's just one house. I believe your father has many properties to choose from."

Manny frowned and said, "You mean, give her a different house to live in?"

Wang Gang held Manny's hand and comforted her, "Your dad arranged this so that Aunt Qin would have a place to live when she gets old."

Since she's willing to give up the property rights, why bother with the past?

Manny lowered her head in thought, then glanced at the old man on the hospital bed.

"Attorney Yao, besides leaving her a house, did the old man leave her any money?"

“No,” Yao Yao said definitively. “All of Mr. Liu’s assets, including cash, will be inherited by you and will not be left to Ms. Qin.”

Manny scoffed, "When they divorced, the old man must have given her plenty of compensation!"

Yao Yao said, "I also helped with Mr. Liu and Aunt Qin's divorce. Ms. Qin refused all divorce compensation, and didn't even take a single piece of jewelry that Mr. Liu had given her."

Manny asked in surprise, "Then what is she after?!"

Yao Yao thought for a moment and said, "I haven't known Ms. Qin for very long, but I can tell that Aunt Qin loves Mr. Liu very much."

During Mr. Liu's hospitalization, Aunt Qin took care of him tirelessly, and visibly lost a lot of weight.

Upon hearing this, Manny was once again caught in a dilemma.

Even as an outsider, Wang Gang could see that Aunt Qin loved Manny's father very much; otherwise, she wouldn't have given up all her property just so Manny could come and see her father one last time.

Aunt Qin's only mistake was that she didn't handle her relationship with her brother-in-law and sister well when she was young, causing everyone pain.

Wang Gang believed that Aunt Qin must have suffered a lot over the years, otherwise she wouldn't have left all her inheritance to Manny and only wanted a place to live.

“Manny, your dad doesn’t have much time left,” Wang Gang said to Manny. “His last wish is probably that your aunt can have someone to rely on in her old age.”

Manny sighed, "Fine! I can offer her a place to stay, but not that old house. I'll leave the apartment I live in now for her."

Wang Gang knew that Manny must have made a great decision.

Yao Yao said, "Okay, I'll revise the agreement right away."

Wang Gang smiled and said, "Thank you, Attorney Yao. Please draft the agreement as soon as possible, and it would be best if we could sign it today."

Yao Yao and Wang Gang exchanged a glance and nodded secretly, fearing that Manny might change her mind again, lest things get complicated.

"I'll handle it right away, it should only take an hour at most." Yao Yao stood up and went outside the ward to contact her colleagues at the law firm.

Wang Gang held Manny's hand the whole time, and although he didn't say anything, he gave her his full support.

Aunt Qin quickly brought in a plate of sliced ​​apples and said with a smile, "Manny, Mr. Gao, come and have some fruit."

Wang Gang stood up, took the fruit plate, and said politely, "Aunt Qin, please don't bother, take a rest."

Aunt Qin smiled and said, "I'm not tired. You all eat up, these apples are so sweet."

Manny kept a cold expression, but she still took a piece of apple and ate it.

Aunt Qin's smile widened, and she sat back down next to Manny's father, wiping his face and body with a damp towel.

Wang Gang noticed that Aunt Qin was exceptionally gentle when caring for Manny's father, her movements practiced and tender. Manny's expression softened considerably, and after a moment of silence, she asked Aunt Qin, "How have you been living since the old man passed away?"

Aunt Qin was clearly taken aback for a moment, then stood up and said, "I have a retirement pension, although it's not much, it's enough for one person."

Manny said, "I've already spoken with Attorney Yao. From now on, you'll live in my current apartment, and you'll pay me one dollar a month in rent. It will be considered your rent, and the rent won't go up. Do you have any questions?"

"Ah!" Aunt Qin said, "I don't need to live in such a big house. My old house was just fine."

Manny said coldly, "I still have a use for that old house, I can't give it to you."

Aunt Qin sat back down silently, her expression somewhat somber, and said, "Manny, you still can't forget what happened before?"

Manny gritted her teeth and said, "If it were you, could you forget! My mother died because of you!"

Aunt Qin's eyes reddened, and she silently shed tears, saying, "I have always regretted what happened to my sister, and I have been repenting all these years."

"Manny, please believe me. I truly didn't want to break up your family back then. If I could turn back time, I would never have gone to university, never moved into your house, and never had my brother-in-law tutor me."

Wang Gang tugged at Manny and shook his head at her.

Manny's anger gradually subsided, but seeing Aunt Qin's sad and upset appearance, she felt conflicted again.

At that moment, a man walked into the ward, carrying a fruit basket.

"Old Liu, Old Liu!" The man shouted as soon as he came in, looking anxious.

Wang Gang and the other two looked at the man. Aunt Qin wiped away her tears, stood up, and said, "May I ask who you are?"

"Sister-in-law!" the man exclaimed excitedly, "I'm Xu Zhisen! Why didn't you tell me that Old Liu was hospitalized?"

"Mr. Xu?" Aunt Qin seemed to remember something and exclaimed, "Aren't you in America?"

Xu Zhisen sighed and said, "I returned to China to develop my career a long time ago. As soon as I heard that Old Liu was hospitalized, I rushed over to see him. How is Old Liu?"

Upon hearing the man's name as "Xu Zhisen" and that he had returned from the United States, Wang Gang couldn't help but think, "Could it be such a coincidence?"

Lu Tao's biological father is named Xu Zhisen, and he is an overseas Chinese who returned from the United States.

"Mr. Xu, you're so kind. Old Liu is only lucid for short periods these days and can't greet you properly," Aunt Qin said sadly.

"How did Old Liu become so ill?" Xu Zhisen said regretfully. "Wasn't he in good health when we met in the United States three years ago?"

Aunt Qin explained, "Old Liu's health has always been poor, and his cancer keeps recurring. In fact, he went to the United States for treatment three years ago."

Xu Zhisen said excitedly, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, I know many excellent doctors. Let's find other doctors to take a look."

Aunt Qin shook her head and said, "No need. Old Liu has consulted many world-class experts, but there's no hope left. We're both mentally prepared."

Xu Zhisen sighed, "Sister-in-law, is there anything else I can do? I haven't known Old Liu for long, but we hit it off immediately. Please feel free to ask if there's anything I can do!"

"Thank you, thank you so much," Aunt Qin said politely.

Xu Zhisen turned to look at Manny and asked, "Is this Old Liu's daughter?"

Manny nodded silently, acknowledging her identity.

“My dear niece, you must be strong! Old Liu has built his career over the course of his life, and he still needs your support. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, just come to me,” Xu Zhisen said sincerely.

Wang Gang, standing to the side, frowned slightly. He had a feeling that Xu Zhisen's visit was like a weasel paying respects to a chicken—he had no good intentions! (End of Chapter)