Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

Just when everyone thought that Wang Huanbo would either agree under pressure or refuse out of youthful arrogance, thus falling into the script set by Yi Zhonghai, Wang Huanbo smiled slightly, his gaze passing over Yi Zhonghai and landing on the deaf old lady who had been resting with her eyes closed.

He didn't answer Yi Zhonghai's question, but instead asked softly, with a tone tinged with nostalgia and respect, "Is this old lady surnamed Sun? The Granny Sun who used to work as a maid for the Wang family in Luogu Lane?"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent!

Everyone was stunned, including Yi Zhonghai. No one expected Wang Huanbo to suddenly ask about the deaf old lady, and especially not using the almost forgotten title "Grandma Sun"!

The deaf old woman's eyes, which had been half-closed, suddenly snapped open! An incredulous light flashed in her cloudy eyes as she stared intently at Wang Huanbo. Her lips began to tremble slightly, and she gripped her cane tightly.

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat, a bad feeling creeping over him. He quickly changed the subject: "Comrade Wang, why are you asking this? The old lady is getting on in years, hard of hearing, she can't hear clearly..."

However, Wang Huanbo seemed not to hear Yi Zhonghai's words. He took a few steps forward, came to the deaf old lady, squatted down, and aligned his eyes with hers. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of the people nearby: "Grandma Sun, don't you recognize me? I'm Bo'er, Wang Huanbo. My father is Wang Jinshan."

"boom!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt, exploding in everyone's minds!

Wang Jinshan? The former true owner of this compound? The big businessman who partnered with Lou Zhenhua to run the steel rolling mill? Wang Huanbo…is his son?!

Yan Bugui dropped the palm-leaf fan from his hand. Liu Haizhong's mouth gaped open. Jia Zhangshi's wail caught in her throat. Sha Zhu also straightened up, his face filled with shock. Yi Zhonghai's expression instantly turned extremely ugly; he had calculated everything, but he hadn't anticipated this connection between Wang Huanbo and this courtyard!

The most excited person was the deaf old lady.

She trembled violently, reaching out her withered hand as if to touch Wang Huanbo's face, yet she couldn't believe it: "Young...Young Master? Is it really you? You...you're back? Master...Master and the others..." Her voice was hoarse, choked with sobs.

"I'm back, Granny Sun, I'm back." Wang Huanbo grasped the old lady's trembling hand, his voice gentle yet reassuring. "My father, my elder brother, and my elder sister are all well, doing well in America. They've been thinking of you and told me to come back so they could see you."

"Good...good...it's good that you're back...it's good that the master is well...it's all good..." Tears welled up in the deaf old lady's eyes instantly, streaming down the lines of her face. "I've waited so many years...finally...finally, the young master has come back..."

She gripped Wang Huanbo's hand tightly, as if afraid that if she let go, he would disappear. Looking at him, her eyes were filled with the loving kindness of an elder towards a younger generation and the overwhelming joy of something lost and found: "You've grown taller...and more handsome...just like your grandfather when he was young...good..."

This scene completely overturned the tone of the entire college meeting!

Yi Zhonghai tried to salvage the situation, forcing a smile: "Oh dear, I never expected Comrade Wang and the old lady to have this connection! It's truly... truly fate! However, let's keep things separate, this housing issue..."

"Yi Zhonghai!" The deaf old woman suddenly turned her head, her previous agitation turning into a sharp edge. Although her voice wasn't loud, it carried an undeniable authority. "Shut up!"

Yi Zhonghai was stunned, his face turning bright red. As an old man, he had never been scolded in public like this by a deaf old lady.

The deaf old woman stood up shakily, and Wang Huanbo quickly helped her. She looked around at the stunned crowd, tapped her cane on the ground, and raised her voice slightly; though still hoarse, each word was clear:

"Listen up, all of you! This courtyard, this entire No. 95 Nanluoguxiang! Back then, it was the master, the young master's father, Master Wang Jinshan, who took pity on me when I had nowhere to go and my two sons had gone to fight the Japanese and disappeared. That's why he transferred the deed to this courtyard to my name, giving me a place to stay! It's all thanks to the master and mistress!"

She pointed at Wang Huanbo: "He, Wang Huanbo, is the rightful young master of this courtyard! He's the root of the Wang family! Now that the young master has returned from his studies abroad, it's only natural for him to come back to his ancestral home and live in his own house!"

Her sharp gaze finally landed on Yi Zhonghai, Jia Zhangshi, and the others: "What are you all up to? Don't think that just because I'm deaf, I'm blind! Trying to force the young master to give up the house? Let me tell you, as long as I'm still breathing, no one will dare to bully the Wang family! No one will dare to covet this west wing!"

A resounding statement!

The entire room fell silent. Jia Zhangshi shrank back in fear, no longer daring to howl. Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong exchanged awkward glances. Yi Zhonghai's face was ashen, his fists clenched tightly in his sleeves. He never imagined that the "ancestor" he had brought out to exert pressure would become Wang Huanbo's strongest shield! Now, all his calculations had failed!

Wang Huanbo, supporting the agitated deaf old woman, felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He looked at the various beasts with different expressions, especially Yi Zhonghai, whose face was ashen, and spoke calmly:

"Uncle, neighbors. Granny Sun is right. This courtyard has always been the property of my Wang family. My father gifted it to Granny Sun in gratitude for her loyalty. Now that I'm back and living in my own house, I'm sure no one will find it inappropriate anymore, right?"

"As for the Jia family, there are several other households facing housing difficulties..." Wang Huanbo changed the subject, seemingly with good intentions, "I could report this to the neighborhood committee to see if there are any other public housing units nearby that could be relocated. After all, our compound is indeed a bit crowded."

These words sounded like a helping hand, but in reality, they were passing the buck back to the neighborhood committee and implying that someone might be "reassigned"! Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong panicked immediately; they didn't want to move!

Yi Zhonghai knew the situation was hopeless. He forced a smile: "So...so that's how it is! We were truly...we were so rash! We didn't know Comrade Wang...no, we didn't know Comrade Xiao Wang had this connection with this courtyard! It's all a misunderstanding! We'll figure out a solution to the housing problem later; Comrade Xiao Wang doesn't need to worry about it. Meeting adjourned! Meeting adjourned!"

The first plenary meeting ended abruptly, despite Wang Huanbo revealing his identity as the "homeowner's son" and the strong support of the deaf old lady. The group of scoundrels, having failed in their attempt to steal a chicken, ended up losing more than they gained, each one looking utterly humiliated. Meanwhile, Yi Zhonghai's gaze deepened with even more apprehension as he watched Wang Huanbo help the deaf old lady back to the backyard.

This new neighbor is far more difficult to deal with than he imagined. From today onwards, the layout of the courtyard house will likely be completely changed.