Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

Song Yulu opened her bag, counted out fifty yuan, and handed it to the contractor.

"Thanks for your hard work today, everyone. Here's some money, go buy your brothers a pack of cigarettes."

The foreman wiped his dusty hands on his trousers and took the money. "Miss Song, you're too kind. We'll definitely handle whatever Mr. Zhou asked us to do perfectly."

Don't worry. We're here as long as this house isn't sold. If those bastards dare to even look back, we'll make them pay.

"After the house is sold, I'll treat everyone to a meal at a restaurant." Song Yulu nodded, picked up a canvas bag full of old clothes, and walked out the door.

The workers responded loudly.

Song Yulu walked down the stairs.

As I left the building and approached the entrance of the community, I ran into Sister Chen, Song Yulu's neighbor.

Sister Chen was carrying a bunch of green vegetables when she spotted Song Yulu.

She was a know-it-all and already knew everything about Song Yulu's family.

Seeing her carrying a canvas bag, an idea popped into my head.

"Yulu. Are you completely not coming back to live here anymore?"

"I've moved away." Song Yulu didn't stop walking.

Sister Chen followed beside her, glancing around. "You really kicked Cai Youde and his family of four out of the house? I saw how miserable they were at the door just now, they deserved it. But it's such a waste to leave your house empty."

"They won't be empty." Song Yulu smiled. "I've listed both houses with real estate agencies and plan to sell them as soon as possible."

"Both sets for sale?" Sister Chen's eyes lit up. "And the previous set too?"

"Yes, I'll sell the previous one cheap."

Sister Chen stopped in her tracks. "Yulu, let me ask you something. How much are you planning to sell that set up over there for?"

"It's 500 yuan cheaper than the market price."

Sister Chen gasped.

Five hundred yuan is no small sum these days; it's equivalent to several months' wages for an average worker.

"Yulu, my eldest sister's brothers are worried about not having a house to find wives. The new town has just started building houses, and the new houses won't be finished anytime soon, and there are few people selling the old houses."

Sister Chen, emboldened, approached her and asked, "If you're really in a hurry to sell this house, could you lower the price a bit?"

"Less?"

"How about another two or three hundred?" Sister Chen asked with a smile. "I know you're getting ripped off."

But you also said that a mistress lived in that house, and there was bloodshed a few days ago. Outsiders always feel that it's bad luck.

We'll have to repaint the walls to get rid of the bad luck after we buy it. The two or three hundred yuan we save will be enough to buy some dowry for my brother; otherwise, the bride's family won't be happy with it.

"I have two bachelor brothers in my family. Once a man gets past a certain age, even widows won't give him a second glance."

Buying a house, furniture, getting married—everything costs money. We're just a working-class family, relying on our meager monthly wages.

Song Yulu weighed the bag in her hand.

She was in a hurry to act and put an end to her hopes.

Keeping it will only annoy me.

Sister Chen is a nice person; I'd be willing to lower the price by another two hundred yuan.

"Sister Chen, considering we've been neighbors for so many years, I'll lower the price by another two hundred. That's the lowest I can go," Song Yulu said, setting the price.

"Great, that's perfect!" Sister Chen beamed, then, after a moment's thought, asked, "You keep your own apartment so clean, why are you willing to sell it? Wouldn't it be better to keep it so you have a place to stay in the future?"

"It's useless to keep it."

Song Yulu said calmly, "When new housing developments open in the future, if I have enough money, I'll buy a new one. If I don't have enough money, there's no rush. Anyway, I'm alone now, so I don't need a place to stay for the time being."

"It's good that you have an idea," Sister Chen quickly chimed in. "Yulu, where are you going now? Give me your address, and I'll go back to my parents' house right away to ask my brothers to raise the money. I'll bring some people to find you later."

Song Yulu gave the address of the clothing store.

Sister Chen nodded repeatedly and rushed out.

Song Yulu walked out of the community gate.

A dilapidated flatbed trailer was parked across the street.

Cai Youde and his family of four were sitting in the back of the trailer.

A pile of pots, pans, and tattered blankets were scattered around.

Cai Youde's leg, in a cast, stretched straight out, his hands gripping the edge of the car tightly. Yang Axiu, clutching her stomach, leaned against a pile of parcels, her face deathly pale, too weak even to groan.

The two children huddled together in the middle, wiping away their tears and not daring to utter a sound.

The tow truck driver pedaled the truck hard.

The car swayed and bumped forward.

Song Yulu stood under the mango tree by the roadside, her gaze following the flatbed truck.

The trailer drove further and further away, eventually blending into the traffic and disappearing from sight.

Tears rolled down her cheeks without warning, landing on the collar of her coat.

Song Yulu raised her hand and wiped her face haphazardly.

ten years.

It's impossible to be without feelings.

The first impression I got of him when I was a girl was that he was honest, and even his smile was shy.

From Qingyang to Xincheng.

The two rarely argued and lived a simple and happy life.

But it was this very same heartfelt affection that left her utterly devastated.

In the end, he was unable to have even his own children.

At this moment, the hatred burned so intensely that her chest ached and her throat tightened.

There are no winners in this marriage.

She's inherently competitive.

"Cai Youde." Song Yulu stared at the empty street, clenching her teeth. "I will climb higher. I will make you spend your whole life looking up at me from the mud. I want you to close your eyes and be filled with regret for today."

She turned and strode towards the intersection, where she flagged down a tricycle.

That evening.

clothing store.

Zhang Shuting used a calculator to tally up the day's accounts.

Song Yulu sat next to her, sorting out the invoices.

Sister Chen walked at the front, followed by three men.

"Yulu, is your older sister late?" Sister Chen called out as she entered the room. "I've brought her here."

Song Yulu stood up.

Sister Chen pulled over one of the thin, young men. "This is my brother from my mother's side. He bought the house you got cheaper. This guy next to him is my brother from my mother's side. And this one..." Sister Chen pointed to the last middle-aged man with black-rimmed glasses, "This is Director Han from my brother's factory."

Director Han looked around at the clothing store's decor; the clothes sold there weren't cheap.

His gaze fell on Song Yulu.

"Yulu, I'm sorry to have troubled you." Sister Chen whispered in her ear, "My brother's factory has been doing poorly, and they've withdrawn all the housing allocations they promised to give to the employees."

Director Han and his family are crammed into a tenement building, and they're in a hurry to buy a house for their son's wedding. When I told them I had a nice apartment here, they insisted on coming along to take a look.

Song Yulu smiled:

"What are you saying, sister? It's a good thing that someone is buying a house."

Director Han stepped forward.

"Sister Song, Sister Chen has confided in me. That nicer apartment was where you used to live. The price is a bit high, are you willing to negotiate?"

"I've always lived in that apartment myself; it's spotless. I won't be taking any of my furniture; I'll give it all to the buyer," Song Yulu answered crisply. "So this apartment can only be sold at market price. If you're interested, you can view it. If not, then forget it."

"No problem. As long as the house is really fine, I won't try to lower your price," Director Han readily agreed.

Sister Chen and her brother were getting a little anxious.

"Can I go see the house now? I have all my money with me."

"Let's go." Song Yulu picked up the two sets of keys from the counter. "Sister Shuting, I'll take them there."

The group returned to the residential area.

We went upstairs.

Several workers were playing cards inside the room.

Upon seeing Song Yulu arrive with her entourage, they immediately packed up their stall and stood aside.

Sister Chen and her brother looked around the house; it was neatly arranged inside.

It's 700 yuan cheaper, this is a great deal.

The decision was made on the spot.

The group then moved to the front of Song Yulu's apartment.

Song Yulu had just inserted the key into the lock.

Hurried footsteps came from the bottom of the stairs.

A young man wearing a yellowish-white shirt rushed up, covered in sweat.

It was the same real estate agent who had handled Song Yulu's registration during the day.

"Sister Song, I've finally found you!" The real estate agent said, panting heavily as he leaned on his knees. "A client in the store just took a liking to your apartment and said he wants to come over first thing tomorrow morning to view it and discuss the price."

Song Yulu paused for a moment, then pulled out the key.

"Xiao Li, I'm so sorry. These people were also looking at apartments, and we've already finalized the deal right here at the store. Both apartments are sold."

The joy on Xiao Li's face instantly vanished.

He spent the whole afternoon running around, talking himself hoarse to get the client, but he was still a step too late.

"You can't blame Sister Song for this." Xiao Li chuckled bitterly, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "It's just that I was born at the right time."

Seeing his dejected look, Song Yulu reached into her bag, took out two ten-yuan bills, and handed them to him.

"I've made you run around all afternoon for nothing. Here's twenty yuan, consider it my treat for a fast food meal."

Xiao Li kept backing away.

"Sister Song, what are you doing?" Xiao Li waved his hands repeatedly, "There's no such rule in the industry. I absolutely cannot accept this money if I don't help you sell the house."

If I took it, my boss would fire me. I don't have any sales targets to begin with, and my boss wants me out because there are too many people.

Xiao Li refused to accept anything and retreated to the stair railing.