Chapter 1 — This House, I Will Not Give Up

The newlywed house had just been repaired, and the father-in-law brought someone to change the lock. I pretended not to know and quietly returned to my mother's house. Four days later, when the husband's parents carried the luggage of his brother-in-law and her husband standing in front of the door, what caught their eyes... was a sealed court notice posted right on the door.

“Dad, after replacing this new lock, isn't the key with her now a piece of junk?”

The person who spoke was Chu Diem's brother-in-law. He tried to lower his voice but could not hide his joy.

"What else can I say? This is the newest C-level course. From today, this place is our home."

Chu Kien Quoc's father-in-law immediately continued, his tone as if he were the homeowner:

"As for To Niem, what can she do with her big pregnant belly? Just let her go back to her mother's house to raise the baby. After all, the marriage has been registered, this house definitely belongs to the Chu family."

I crouched at the corner of the emergency stairs, looking through the crack in the door. They stood in my wedding house, pointing, discussing... as if they were dividing an existing profit. At that time, I did not speak up, nor did I step out. Just quietly turned around and pressed the elevator button to go down. Sitting in the car, I sent my husband - Chu Khai - a text message:

"Husband, I'm not feeling very well these days. I want to go back to Chengdu and go back to my mother's house to take care of the pregnancy."

The other party's message was replied almost immediately:

"Okay wife, you can rest assured and go home. The new house still smells of paint, don't worry about anything."

Looking at that fake concern line, I slightly curled my lips. They thought I was giving way... so that I could take over everything. It's just a pity that— They didn't know, I had prepared for this whole family... a "gift" that I couldn't avoid even if I wanted to. People live one life, the most important thing is not to lose your posture. That's a sentence my mother repeated over and over since I was little. Before, I just thought she was picky, thinking the "posture" she was talking about simply meant dressing neatly, speaking moderately, and having a difficult situation, she had to reapply her lipstick first. It wasn't until I married Chu Khai and stepped into the Chu family that I understood— The so-called "posture", in fact, is having a trump card in your right hand, so your heart won't tremble. The marriage between Chu Khai and I was initially considered a good relationship in the eyes of outsiders. He appears gentle, polite, and has a stable job. Besides the normal family situation, there is nothing to criticize. In a fast-paced city like Hangzhou, meeting someone who cares about your feelings... is not easy. My parents loved me and were afraid that after I got married, I would suffer losses, so they used all the money they had saved all their lives, paid the deposit outright, and bought me a three-bedroom apartment right in the center. The day the house purchase contract was signed, the transaction room was noisy and bustling. My mother wore old glasses, bowed her head and read each clause one by one, afraid of missing even a single line. When signing, her fingers were shaking slightly.

“Nien Niem, this house is the support my parents left me.”

She handed me the contract, her eyes were red: "In the future, straighten your back in life and don't have to look at other people's faces in everything." At that time, my heart warmed up in waves, completely ignoring the word "retreat". On the red book, only my name is written. When the Chu family learned of this detail, their attitude immediately changed. The first time the two families sat together was at a long-standing Hangzhou restaurant. The future mother-in-law wore a purple-red cashmere sweater, holding my mother's hand, as close as an old friend you haven't seen in a long time.

"Sir, your family is really generous. Nowadays, to even buy a separate house for your daughter is very rare."

Her mouth complimented her, but her eyes kept glancing towards Chu Khai. Chu Khai immediately picked up the food and poured tea for me, showing utmost kindness. The mother-in-law continued: "Your family has taken care of the house, our family cannot ignore it. Let's do this, let me take care of all the money for house repairs and appliances, as a little courtesy to To Niem." The father-in-law sitting next to him also patted his chest, his face full of pride.

"That's right, I've already prepared the money to repair the house. Once the house is handed over, I'll start working right away. Absolutely don't let To Niem have to worry about anything!"

At that time, I was too carefree to hear the hidden calculations behind the words. They said they were "returning the favor", but in fact they wanted to leave the Chu family's mark on this house. Like a dog marking its territory. As long as they spend money to repair the house, this house seems to be theirs. Even thinking back now, perhaps even then, they began to plan how to swallow this lucrative bait completely, leaving nothing behind. It's just that at that time, I didn't think about it at all. Beautiful words, no one can say them. But whether to do it or not... is another matter. Half a year later, the wedding house was finally handed over. That day, the sky in Hangzhou was overcast and the wind blew so much that the windows rattled. Chu Khai and I stood in the empty house, looking at the four cement walls in a daze. I excitedly pulled him to see the design, pointing to the small room facing south:

“In the future, my child will be here and the sun will shine.”

Chu Khai responded with a smile on his face, but his eyes were always avoiding. As soon as I mention "when will I start repairing" or "when will the money to repair the house be available?", he immediately deflects.

"Lately, payment for my father's project has been delayed. Money is a bit tight. Please wait a little longer."

"Yeah... my mom said finding a familiar team will save you money. I'm already asking, don't rush."

It went on like that… more than half a year. The house is still as original as it was in the beginning. The cement wall was covered with a thin layer of dust, and the corner of the house even had a few spider webs. The so-called "returning favor" when getting married... you can't even see the shadow. At that moment, I suddenly became pregnant. The two red lines on the pregnancy test are clearly visible. Besides joy, I was more confused in my heart. I sat on the toilet in the bathroom for a long time, looking at my slightly pale face in the mirror. The baby is here... should we just continue to rent a house and live temporarily? The rental contract is about to expire, the landlord has sent a message in advance that the rent will increase next time. That night, I intentionally cooked a few more dishes. After eating, I called Chu Khai to the living room, put the pregnancy test on the tea table, and looked at him seriously.

“Chu Khai, we have a baby.”

He paused for a second, then immediately laughed until he couldn't close his mouth, picked me up and tried to spin around in the middle of the room. I pushed him away, my voice becoming calm.

"Don't be happy yet. Have you finally got the money to repair the house that your parents promised? If not, we have to think of a way, we can't wait any longer."

The smile on Chu Khai's face immediately stiffened. He rubbed his hands, his eyes averted, determined not to look directly at me.

“Nien Niem, that's really not smart... a few days ago, my sister brought her boyfriend home I just bought him a car to save face. Money that can be managed... is really gone for the time being.”

It felt like a bucket of cold water was poured into my heart. Renovating the house for the eldest son was delayed over and over again, but buying a car for the youngest daughter was so decisive. This is not a lack of money, it is clearly bias.

“That money was originally said to be for repairing our house, so why did it go to buy a car for Diem Diem?” My voice suddenly rose.

Chu Khai immediately looked awkward.

“Nien Niem, don't get excited. It's also for Diem Diem's future. We are brothers and sisters, we should help a little."