Going home for Chinese New Year, I squeezed onto a bus with three energetic young women.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Li Jiaxin couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

"Brother," she pointed at the landlord, whose face was ashen, "how come you're even better at swearing than I am?"

"It was shared with me by Ruyue a few days ago."

The landlord, standing by the door, had all the fat on his face squeezed together.

He was so angry that his face turned red, and his nose almost crooked.

"What do you mean, kid? I was listening to your nonsense for ages!"

Bai Li shrugged, unconvinced.

"I believe what I'm saying is true. Take it or leave it."

The landlord's finger hovered in mid-air, trembling with anger.

But then his eyes darted around, as if he had thought of some scheme.

The next second, his hand stopped shaking, and he asked:

"You're the one who threatened my mom last time, saying you'd put a voodoo doll on her, right?"

Bai Li readily admitted, "Yes. You're not in a hurry, are you?"

He originally thought that the landlord would be furious with him.

But unexpectedly, the next second...

The landlord suddenly became excited, as if he had found a handle to control Bai Li. He raised his voice and announced triumphantly:

"You're the one! Then I'll tell you!"

"If the rent isn't paid today, this old lady is getting out of my house!"

"Why?!" Li Jiaxin, who had been laughing, suddenly exploded, her voice trembling with emotion:

"We've already paid! We paid this year's rent a long time ago! What right do you have to kick us out?"

However, the landlord seemed to have anticipated that Li Jiaxin would say such a thing.

He crossed his arms, clicked his tongue twice, and shook his head with a look of great regret.

"But no contract was signed at the time."

The landlord drawled out the last syllable, his face conveying a smug, "What can you do to me?" attitude.

"She even paid her rent in cash."

He held up two fingers and gestured in the air:

"There are no transaction records."

"In other words, there is no evidence whatsoever to prove that there was a landlord-tenant relationship between us."

Li Jiaxin was shocked by these remarks.

She never imagined that people could be so shameless.

The landlord got more and more excited as he spoke, took a step forward, and stared at Li Jiaxin.

"Your grandmother's current actions are tantamount to moving into my house without my consent and living there for free!"

"I'll say it now, and she has to leave, whether she likes it or not! Otherwise, I'll report her for trespassing!"

These distorted and absurd words echoed throughout the room.

"You...you..." Li Jiaxin was so angry that she couldn't utter a word for a long time.

The old lady was terrified when she heard that she was going to report the crime.

The older generation has a natural reverence for the government and is most afraid of getting into trouble.

"Don't sue, please don't sue!" Grandma Li Jiaxin said frantically. "I'll pay. I'll pay, okay?"

After saying that, she reached out her hand, ready to take out money from her pocket.

Bai Li stood up and walked a few steps to the old lady's side.

He reached out and placed his hand on the old man's hand holding the money:

"Grandma, don't worry. We won't pay this money. I'll think of the worst possible solution later..."

Bai Li's voice was steady and powerful.

"Where will we live if we don't pay?" The old man glanced at Li Jiaxin. "Just consider it an advance payment..."

Li Jiaxin felt a sharp pain in her heart as she looked at the handful of change in her grandmother's hand.

She gritted her teeth, forcing back the stinging in her eyes:

"It's alright, Grandma. We're not staying in that dilapidated house anymore."

She turned around and pulled a woven bag from under the table.

Then I started packing the old man's clothes.

While tidying up, she glared at the landlord with disgust.

"Refund me the rent for the remaining eight months."

Li Jiaxin stretched out her hand, palm up, her eyes extremely cold:

"Consider the two hundred yuan deposit as charity to your grandmother as ghost money."

She originally thought the other party would leave once they got the benefit.

Unexpectedly, the landlord stood there, not only showing no intention of paying, but also letting out a cold laugh.

"Just take your grandma and get out of here."

The landlord slowly and deliberately uttered a sentence:

"Rent is non-refundable!"

Li Jiaxin stopped what she was doing:

"Why should I?!"

This time she really wouldn't have it.

This amount of money used to be several months' worth of living expenses for them.

Although I don't care about the money now, I can't swallow this insult.

She threw the clothes she was holding onto the bed.

"You think I'm easy to bully?"

Li Jiaxin moved closer, looking as if she was about to fight the other party.

The landlord is too lazy to even renovate anymore.

This courtyard was his territory, and he was certain that the grandfather and grandson couldn't cause any trouble.

"right."

The landlord, hands on hips, readily admitted:

"You, and your grandma, are just easy to bully."

He looked Li Jiaxin up and down with a mocking expression.

"They're uneducated and ignorant of the law. They didn't even sign a contract; they deserve to be scammed."

"Therefore, in this courtyard, whatever I say goes!"

He paced back and forth excitedly:

Let me tell you the truth.

The landlord stopped and pointed to the large courtyard outside.

"Our area is about to be demolished."

His breathing became heavy, and he grew increasingly agitated as he spoke:

"Soon, I'll be holding a million-dollar fortune. And I'll get three large, legally registered apartments!"

The landlord glared at Li Jiaxin fiercely, his arrogance reaching its peak.

"Even so, I won't refund a single penny of your rent. What can you do about it?"

Li Jiaxin then understood.

This idiot isn't here to collect next year's rent.

He clearly saw that this place was going to be demolished and was looking for an excuse to drive them away, and he wanted to skin them alive before they left!

"You're a real mother idiot!"

Li Jiaxin launched into a tirade:

"Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning for living like this?!" She pointed at the landlord's greasy face. "Are you planning to use this money to buy a coffin?"

After scolding her, Li Jiaxin felt a wave of fear.

Thankfully, I made it here today.

If I'm not here today, or if I come back half a day late...

Grandma, with her honest and simple nature all her life, would most likely hand over the money to an idiot after being scared like that.

Thinking of this, Li Jiaxin's chest heaved with anger, and she turned to look at her grandmother sitting on the edge of the bed.

The old man was completely stunned, and his body was still trembling slightly.

She has lived for over seventy years and values ​​kindness to others; she has never seen such a wicked person with no bottom line.

Grandma muttered to herself:

"I usually don't even leave the house..."

"He is always polite to everyone and doesn't say much."

"How did I offend someone?" Her cloudy eyes were full of confusion.

"Why are you treating an old woman like this...?"

To Li Jiaxin, seeing the old man like this was more painful than being stabbed in the back.

She walked quickly over, squatted down, and took her grandmother's hands in her own.

"Grandma, don't cry."

Li Jiaxin gritted her teeth:

"This kind of scumbag is bound to get into big trouble sooner or later, let's ignore him."

At this moment, Bai Li, who had been silent until now, spoke:

"It's alright, Jiaxin."

"Take care of Grandma's feelings first, and leave the rest to me. Get ready to watch the show."

Looking at Bai Li, Li Jiaxin's restless emotions calmed down.

She knew that as long as her older brother spoke, the other party wouldn't even know how to spell the word "death."

She obediently comforted her grandmother, stood up, crossed her arms, and adopted a spectator's posture.

The landlord didn't take Bai Li seriously at all when he saw her step forward.

"Oh?"

The landlord glanced at him sideways:

"What, you, as someone's lover, want to meddle in other people's business?"

He stopped playing with the walnuts and pointed in Bai Li's direction with his finger:

"Is he going to stand there and yell at me like that little brat to vent his anger?"

He tilted his head, his expression extremely arrogant.

"It's no use! I'm going to swallow your money today!"

The landlord stuffed the walnuts in his hand into his pocket, waved his hand dismissively, and looked quite pleased with himself.

"No contract exists; now, my word is law!"

Bai Li suddenly laughed and shook his head.

He's never been one for empty talk. After making a promise to Grandma Li Jiaxin, he immediately activated his "goddess radar" and scanned the entire courtyard, trying to find something.

This scan revealed quite a few astonishing things...

That's incredible! If he just said it out loud, the landlord's entire worldview would completely collapse!

The family falling apart is a minor matter.

"No, you can't say now..."

"The scene isn't big enough yet; saying it like that is too easy on him."

Bai Li lowered his eyelids, sizing up the landlord who still thought he had the whole situation under control, and muttered to himself:

"I must make you even more pitiful than Zhang Yan and Old Lady Ma..."

He had to make this old man the biggest joke in the entire Ping County, so he could experience what true despair was like.

The landlord didn't hear clearly, frowned, and gave him a look as if he were looking at someone mentally challenged.

"What are you muttering about?"

The landlord pointed to himself and shouted, "Me, pitiful?"

He spread his hands as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world:

"Are you going crazy from being manipulated by me?"

However, Bai Li did not answer his question, but instead said something without explanation:

"Has your son not had a proper job since graduating from university, and doesn't come home at night?"