Chapter 138 Old House

“We’re not outsiders, not outsiders, we’re all family!”

Ouyang Lan immediately beamed with joy, already treating Qin Chuchu as her daughter-in-law.

She pulled out her phone and said, “Xiao Fan, Mom’s phone is broken. Can you see if it can still be fixed?”

She had fallen and broken her phone when she was hit at the hotel. She was fine at the time, but later discovered her phone was broken.

Ye Bufan took Ouyang Lan’s phone. It was an old model bought from a second-hand market, having been used for countless years. Now, the screen was completely shattered, showing nothing.

“It’s fine, Mom. No one would even pick up your phone if you threw it outside. Why bother fixing it? Just get a new one.”

Ye Bufan said, directly taking out the SIM card and tossing the phone into the nearby trash can.

“I’ve used this phone for so many years, I’m used to it,” Ouyang Lan said with some reluctance. “Even if you get me a new phone, don’t buy one that’s too expensive. I’m fine with this kind of senior phone.”

“No need to buy one, I’ve already prepared it for you.”

Ye Bufan said, taking out the customized Vertu phone and inserting the SIM card.

Ouyang Lan glanced at it, seeing it was quite similar to her old phone, and asked, “You child, when did you buy this? How much was it?”

“Not much, 350.”

Ye Bufan knew that if he stated the true price, his mother would never use it, so he simply omitted the unit at the end.

“Oh! That’s still a bit expensive. Actually, a senior phone for one or two hundred yuan would be fine.”

Ouyang Lan said, taking the phone.

Qin Chuchu next to them couldn’t help but chuckle. A phone worth 3.5 million was called 350 yuan and still considered expensive; this Old Madam was truly unique.

Just then, the phone in Ouyang Lan’s hand rang.

Ouyang Lan glanced at the number, her expression subtly changed, and she was about to go out to answer the call.

Ye Bufan pulled her back. “Mom, just answer it here. I want to see what they have to say!”

Even without using his Divine Sense, he could guess that the call must be from her uncles in the Ouyang Family.

“This…” Ouyang Lan hesitated for a moment, then finally sat back down and pressed the answer button.

As soon as the call connected, Ouyang De roared from the other end, “Ouyang Lan, when did you learn to turn off your phone? You haven’t answered my calls for so long.”

Ouyang Lan glanced at Ye Bufan, then said, “Xiao De, my phone was broken…”

Before she could finish, Ouyang De roughly interrupted, “Alright.

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That’s enough, stop with the nonsense. What about the 10 million yuan?”

Ouyang Lan said, “I haven’t had a chance to discuss it with Xiao Fan yet.”

“There’s nothing to discuss. I’m telling you, that 10 million yuan must be given. Xiao Hui’s life is worth 10 million yuan.

Tomorrow, at the old family home, we’ll all be waiting for you to come back!”

After Ouyang De finished speaking, he hung up with a snap.

Ouyang Lan put away her phone, looking at her son with an apologetic expression.

Ye Bufan asked, “Mom, what’s this about 10 million yuan?”

“It’s like this: your eldest uncle said that for your youngest aunt’s death, they each need to be compensated 2 million yuan, plus another 2 million yuan for burial expenses.”

Ouyang Lan also knew her brother’s demands were too excessive, and her voice grew softer as she spoke, becoming almost inaudible by the end.

“On what grounds? Do they have no sense of reason?!”

Before Ye Bufan could speak, Qin Chuchu indignantly cried out, “No matter how you look at it, they shouldn’t be given money just because someone died.”

Ye Bufan said, “That’s right. Ouyang Hui’s death was purely a criminal case and has nothing to do with you, nor do you need to bear any responsibility for compensation.

Even if we take ten thousand steps back and say compensation is due, it wouldn’t be for them. This is clearly taking advantage of the situation and extorting money.”

Qin Chuchu said, “This is too much bullying. And 2 million for burial expenses? Where did that come from?”

Ouyang Lan, like a child who had done something wrong, said sheepishly, “Xiao Fan, after all, they are my younger brothers and sisters. How about we just give them a little less?”

“Mom, haven’t you understood yet? Just think about whether these people have any familial affection for you. If they treated you like an older sister, they wouldn’t have driven you out alone back then.”

Ye Bufan said, “If they truly cared about you, truly acted like siblings, then never mind 10 million, I wouldn’t care even if I gave them 20 million or 30 million.

But not now. For these ungrateful people, not a single cent can be given.”

Ouyang Lan said, “But…”

Ye Bufan said, “There are no ‘buts,’ Mom. Just leave this matter to me. We’ll go back together tomorrow.”

Ouyang Lan thought for a moment, then finally said, “Alright then, Mom will listen to you.”

Ye Bufan sent Qin Chuchu home. The next morning, he drove Ouyang Lan back to Wufeng County.

Due to the poor road conditions in the county town, and also not wanting to be too flashy, he didn’t drive the pagani but instead chose

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the Passat.

After getting in the car, Ouyang Lan said with some hesitation, “Xiao Fan, we haven’t been back in a long time. How about we bring them some gifts?”

“Mom, we already agreed you’d listen to me. We’re not bringing them anything. These people are all insatiable ingrates. No matter how many favors you give them, they’ll just think it’s deserved and won’t show an ounce of gratitude.

You worked to put them through school, helped them marry, even sold yourself to support their education, and what was the result? What did you get in return?”

Ouyang Lan sighed and said no more. She knew her son was speaking the truth; it was just that she was kind-hearted and always didn’t want to fall out with her younger brothers and sisters.

Ye Bufan didn’t drive too fast. Two hours later, they entered Wufeng County town.

The Ouyang Family’s old family home was inherited from their ancestors. Although it had stood for a hundred years and looked dilapidated, it was located right in the city center and had a large area.

While it was old-fashioned to live in now, if it were ever redeveloped, it would undoubtedly be a huge sum of money.

It was precisely this point that Ouyang De and the others had their eyes on back then, which is why they drove Ouyang Lan out immediately after Ye Bufan’s maternal grandmother, Zhao Caifeng, passed away.

Zhao Caifeng had three sons and three daughters in total, but when she was critically ill and dying, only Ouyang Lan stayed by her side to fulfill her filial duty. She even borrowed a large sum of money to treat the Old Madam’s illness.

Ouyang De and the others were nowhere to be seen, and they didn’t contribute a single cent.

The Old Madam was heartbroken by this and, before her death, directly transferred the ownership of the old family home to Ouyang Lan’s name.

However, what she didn’t expect was that immediately after Zhao Caifeng’s funeral, Ouyang De and the others came knocking, claiming that sons inheriting their father’s legacy was a matter of course, and the house should be inherited by the sons.

And Ouyang Lan was just an outsider, ultimately swept out the door.

Facing her rude younger brothers and sisters, Ouyang Lan was accustomed to it and didn’t argue with them. She came to Jiangnan City and opened a steamed bun shop, drifting alone and forlornly until today.

At this moment, inside the old family home, all of the Ouyang Family siblings were present, gathered together for a meeting.

Ouyang De said, “When Ouyang Lan and her son return later, we’ll proceed according to the plan. First, give them some pleasantries. If the mother and son are sensible, they’ll obediently hand over 10 million yuan.

If they truly act like stingy iron roosters and don’t even want to give this small amount, then we can’t be blamed. We’ll proceed with the plan, no matter what, we must get the money.”

The others nodded in agreement. Just then, the sound of an engine came from the courtyard, and Ouyang Zhi said, “They’re back.”