As soon as Mei Yinan finished speaking, Mei Mengchen reacted just like in their previous life, bursting directly into tears. He hurried over to Mei Mengzhen's side, clutching her arm tightly and said, "I don't want to leave my sister. I want to stay with my sister. I don't want to go live with other people."
Mei Mengzhen had felt the urge to make amends in the first place, so she had been particularly good to this little brother these past few days, quickly filling the role of their parents in her brother's heart.
Of course, those parents who never did right by their kids didn't have much of a place in his heart to begin with.
Mei Mengzhen was pulled back to reality by her brother's crying, and as she looked at her brother clinging to her arm and sobbing, she felt a wave of sadness rush through her.
"How are they 'other people'? They're your uncles." But in the end, it was still someone else's home—living there really would mean relying on others. Mei Yinan sighed and wanted to keep talking, but Mei Mengzhen cut her off, speaking firmly: "Auntie, I've grown up. I want to live on my own with my brother. We're not going anywhere else."
"Don't be ridiculous! You're about to start your senior year of high school. Where will you find time to look after him? Honestly, you might not even be able to take care of yourself." Mei Mengzhen's grades were right there for everyone to see—not great, only barely scraping the minimum for university. What if her studies got messed up and she couldn't get in? Mei Yinan thought this but didn't voice it.
"Auntie, I'm already seventeen. I understand what needs to be understood. If we move in with someone else, it's not just an extra bowl of rice; the burden is too heavy. Living on our own would actually be better, plus Chenchen really doesn't want to be separated from me."
Mei Mengchen quickly nodded, "I won't be separated from my sister. I just want to stay with my sister!"
"He's still a kid and doesn't understand, but do you not understand either? You're starting your senior year—you've got morning and evening classes, when do you get off? Chenchen needs to go to kindergarten—what time does he start, what time does he finish? Your schedules don't even match. Even if you manage to tough it out this year, what about university? Are you not going to college? Stay home to take care of your brother?" The problems Mei Yinan raised were all practical, and indeed, it was what Mei Mengzhen would soon have to face.
But it wasn't like the problems couldn't be solved.
"I can apply to the school to skip evening classes, that way I'll be done at five or six. Kindergarten offers aftercare—after school, I can pick up my brother and bring him home. As for mornings," she'd really run into a timing issue there, since senior year classes start really early. If she dropped her brother off, she'd definitely be late, "I'll just take him early."
"I can go by myself. I know where the kindergarten is." Mei Mengchen lifted his head from Mei Mengzhen's arm and shouted loudly. He really did know where it was—their mom had taken him to register before she died, and he remembered. Besides, the kindergarten was close, in the same neighborhood; he wouldn't get lost.
"Just because you know how to walk doesn't mean you can go alone. What if someone grabs you, or you run into traffickers?" There was no way Mei Mengzhen would ever agree to let him walk by himself. Worst case, they'd pay for a nanny to handle pickup and meals—just might not be easy to find the right person right away.
As for money, that was even less of a concern. The vegetables from the space tasted so good; as long as she found a way to make money, none of this would be a problem. Besides, their parents had left a bit of savings. It wasn't much, but enough to get through the tough period. There was plenty of gold and jewelry left in the space, too. If it came to it, she'd just sell some—she wasn't the same Mei Mengzhen from her last life. If she repeated the old mistakes even with such a massive cheat at her disposal, then she'd really be hopeless.
Actually, aside from hiring a nanny, there was one person who could really help: Auntie. The kindergarten Mei Mengchen attended was right near Auntie's work. Auntie passed their house every day on her way to the office, and her route was just: Auntie's place, their home, kindergarten, her office—a straight line connecting all four. If Auntie could help pick up and drop off Mei Mengchen, that would be perfect.
But even though she could, Mei Mengzhen didn't feel right asking. They were relatives, after all. Auntie helping was kindness, but not helping was perfectly justified. If she handed this over to Auntie as though it were obvious, it would be wrong—too presumptuous.
Mei Yinan looked at the siblings, so frustrated she could hardly speak. "I…"
Just as Mei Yinan was about to say something, another knock sounded from outside.
"Must be your uncle, second aunt, little aunt and little uncle—they're here, go open the door."
"The door's not locked~~~~~." Mei Mengzhen shouted loudly, and as she did, the group pushed the door open and walked in.
Their relatives had all arrived. Mei Mengzhen, ever quick-witted, boiled water and made tea for everyone, and brought over a glass of milk for her brother. Then, everyone sat down.
Well, time to talk.
The mood was pretty heavy at the moment. While Mei Mengzhen was brewing tea, Mei Yinan had already filled the others in on the siblings' conversation.
She said she was telling them, but really it was mostly just complaining about Mei Mengzhen's lack of maturity—their opinions leaned toward disagreement.
When Mei Mengzhen came over to sit down, the adults glanced at her with uncertain expressions. But for Auntie's sake, no one spoke up right away.
Once everyone was settled, Mei Yinan started, "Here's the thing: we're here to talk about the kids. Zhenzhen, go ahead and share your thoughts first."
"My view is, I plan to stay here with my brother."
Uncle Mei Yongfu snorted, "If you want to live here, fine. But whose house is this? Did you get our permission?"
Little Aunt Mei Yifan nodded, "This was your grandfather—my dad's—house. We never agreed to give it to you. Dad wouldn't listen, so we couldn't stop him, but seriously, is this house yours? You say you'll stay—just stay?"
"Isn't this a discussion about me and my brother's living arrangements? Why are you dragging the house into it? And it's not even mine."
Mei Mengzhen's attitude was calm. She understood clearly that everyone was after the house left by grandpa—they were his children, inheriting it was only natural. But grandpa had sidestepped them and left it to her, which caused resentment from the start. After grandpa died, this group fought over it constantly, but her parents weren't pushovers and they never got their way. Now it was just her and her brother, two kids—how could they not seize the opportunity to take the house back?
But Mei Mengzhen really didn't plan to cling to the place. The house wasn't hers now, and even if it was, she hadn't wanted it. The house was nothing but trouble for her now—before demolition, after demolition, didn't matter.
Still, she was only seventeen, about to start her last school year. Even if she wanted to make money, she didn't have much time. If she rented somewhere, it'd cost even more. So she had to live here—for now. If it was just temporary, surely no one would object—they hadn't completely fallen out, and no one would let two minors end up on the streets.
"So what, you're just gonna keep the house and not return it?" Little Aunt Mei Yifan glared at her, eyes full of malice, itching to tear into her the moment Mei Mengzhen agreed.