Li Ziqing’s ancestral home was a courtyard house with three entrances.
Located on Xuanwu Street, it was already quite close to the central area of the imperial city.
Coupled with hundreds of years of history, it even possessed collectible value.
That was why its price was so high and had remained so.
This was the first time Li Ziqing had returned to this courtyard since she left it as a child.
The memories had become dim and blurry, and for Li Ziqing, there wasn't much of a sense of revisiting old places.
More than anything, it was a sense of legacy, a sense of responsibility.
“Dad, what you achieved, I have achieved too, and I’ve done it better.”
“I swear, this time, no one will ever be able to take anything from me again.”
Li Ziqing caressed the bluestone bricks on the courtyard wall, murmuring softly.
Revenge was something etched into her very blood.
And at this moment, her blood was nearing a boil.
Li Dahai was not at home. Li Dahai’s wife, Wang Peixia, was a plump woman with a very round face.
From her face, one could vaguely see what Li Zijian looked like before his plastic surgery.
“Mom, I’m back.”
Upon returning home, Li Zijian’s mind finally settled.
All the way, he had been worried that Li Ziqing would kill him.
He thought that since Li Ziqing hadn’t acted before, she wouldn’t now.
Moreover, this was the Li family’s ancestral home, the resting place of the souls of the Li family ancestors. Li Ziqing would not dare to act against him here.
At this moment, Wang Peixia was playing mahjong with a few neighbors, completely engrossed in the game.
When Li Zijian returned, she merely flicked her eyelids and said impatiently, “You’re back? There’s food in the pot, eat it yourself if you’re hungry.”
She had long since given up all hope for this disappointing son, just like his dead father.
No talent whatsoever, yet full of lofty ambitions.
For years, he had been living off the family’s savings.
The once vast family fortune was dwindling under his constant consumption.
Fortunately, there was this old house. If things really got bad, selling it would bring in billions, enough to last several lifetimes. This was her source of confidence.
But recently, that unlucky son had mortgaged the property deed due to his gambling debts.
The thought of this made her furious.
So, when she saw Li Zijian return, she showed no pleasant expression.
“My sister is back too.”
Li Zijian added.
“Your sister? What sister are you talking about?”
Wang Peixia instinctively thought her son was spouting nonsense again. Then she thought of something and looked up to ask, “You mean that little slut is back?”
“Mom, don’t say such things. If my sister hears you, you’ll be in trouble!”
Hearing his mother call Li Ziqing a “little slut,” Li Zijian, frightened, quickly covered his mother’s mouth and explained, “She’s really different now.”
“Pah, pah, pah, get your dirty paws off me!”
Wang Peixia snorted, “How can she be different? A slut is a slut, just like her slut of a mother, only good at seducing men!”
“Alright, alright, I’m not playing anymore. Break up!”
Wang Peixia pushed the tiles onto the mahjong table and began to dismiss them. “Everyone, hurry back.”
“Wang Peixia, we’ve only played a few rounds. You’re calling it quits just because you won? What kind of person are you?”
The mahjong partners were not happy that Wang Peixia wanted to stop.
“I’m just not playing anymore, what can you do about it?”
Wang Peixia stood up, hands on her hips, pointing at the person, like a big teapot, ready to unleash her fury.
“Alright, alright, forget it! If you don’t want to play, you don’t want to play. With you like this, we won’t come to your place to play anymore. Come, let’s go play at my place!”
The mahjong partners dispersed. Wang Peixia pulled Li Zijian over and lowered her voice, asking, “Did that little slut pay off your gambling debts for you?”
“No.”
Li Zijian shook his head and truthfully replied.
He thought to himself that Jinqianbao was dead, so where were the gambling debts?
But before he could explain, Wang Peixia cursed, “Pah, I knew it. It was useless to ask her. That little slut would be happy if we all died, how could she possibly help you!”
Before Li Zijian went to Jiangcheng, he had only told Wang Peixia that he needed Li Ziqing’s help, but not about Jinqianbao’s scheme.
“Mom, although the gambling debt hasn’t been paid, I got the property deed back. It’s with her.”
Li Zijian said.
If it were a normal person, hearing this would prompt them to wonder how the property deed was retrieved without the debt being paid.
But Wang Peixia didn’t think about it, nor did she care. She only cared about the property deed.
“Then why didn’t you say so earlier? Hurry up, call that little slut in and get the property deed back!”
Wang Peixia urged.
“She went to the back hall, said she wanted to offer incense to the ancestors.”
Li Zijian said, “Mom, my sister is really different now. Be polite to her. If it doesn’t work out, we can just give the property deed back to her and let her have the house.”
As he said this, Li Zijian was filled with internal conflict.
On one hand, he didn’t want to provoke Li Ziqing because he hadn’t lived enough.
But on the other hand, he didn’t want to hand over the ancestral home.
Because this ancestral home was their family’s greatest asset. As long as they had the ancestral home, he wouldn’t fear having nothing.
So he advised his mother, but did not reveal all the circumstances.
He still held a sliver of hope that perhaps his mother had a way to deal with Li Ziqing, perhaps his mother could get the property deed back.
At worst, even if they really angered Li Ziqing, his mother would bear the brunt of it if the sky fell…
“Are you an idiot? Listen to what you’re saying.”
Wang Peixia stared at her unpromising son and scolded, “This house belongs to our family, why should we give it to her? Besides, if we give her the house, what will our family do in the future? Beg for food?”
“Alright, then Mom, I’m counting on you. Li Ziqing is really not someone to be trifled with now…”
Li Zijian repeated that Li Ziqing was not to be trifled with, but he spoke vaguely, not explaining why Li Ziqing was so formidable.
“Hmph, not to be trifled with?”
Wang Peixia snorted, “What’s so hard to deal with about a little slut? Watch how I handle her!”
Seeing his mother’s demeanor, Li Zijian suddenly had a bad premonition.
He opened his mouth, but ultimately stopped himself.
After all, this was his last hope.
Moreover, even if he said something, his mother might not listen.
Watching his mother’s swaying backside, Li Zijian could only comfort himself this way.
In the back hall, Li Ziqing offered incense to the ancestral tablets.
Her delicate eyebrows were lowered, thinking that the tablets of her parents should also be brought in.
Just then, a sarcastic voice came from outside.
“Oh, isn’t this Li Ziqing? You’re back but didn’t even say hello. It seems you really don’t have me, your third aunt, in your eyes!”
“What, you think you’re doing well now, your wings are strong? You can be arrogant, can’t you?”