C21 The Shed Was Destroyed!

Zong Hailan was surprised that Qi Haipeng would make such a big deal about coming to see her. She wanted to refuse, but Qi Qianshan waved his hand dismissively, "You young folks can talk things over, just don't let it interfere with your work."

Haipeng, thick-skinned as ever, had to swallow his pride since he needed something from her. "Don't worry, Mr. Zong. I just need a few words with her, and I'll be right back to lend a hand."

"Can't this wait until after work? What's the rush?" Hailan wasn't pleased; drawing attention now wasn't ideal.

Haipeng gestured for her to keep quiet and glanced around to ensure no one was watching before whispering, "I really need to discuss something with you. You're the star of the Zong family, but it's a shame Zong Fulai always overshadows you."

Hailan didn't appreciate the bluntness. "That's a family matter."

"You misunderstood me. I like you. To me, you're the only princess of the Zong family. But right now, I have nothing to offer you."

His words caught her off guard, and a sense of joy began to swell within her. It wasn't often she met someone so perceptive. "And then?"

"I'm planning to take a risk. Let's work together to take down Zong Fulai, then force Zong Qingshan to give me the village leader position. Once I'm in charge, I'll leave her and marry you. What do you say?"

He wasn't exactly trustworthy, and she knew his words were mostly true but laced with deceit. Still, she was intrigued by his boldness. At first, she was a bit startled, but soon she felt a sense of satisfaction.

Hmph, so what if she's the village leader's daughter? Without a good father, she's still at the mercy of others. "Last time I helped you, she found out and doesn't trust me anymore."

She feigned a pout, her big, expressive eyes blinking innocently, stirring something within Haipeng. He thought to himself, this little minx might be easier to win over than he expected—a pleasant surprise indeed.

The twin sisters, who were actually cousins, made him feel a rush of excitement just thinking about them.

He shrugged off her concerns. "Why does it matter if she believes you or not? Do you really think she'd hit you or kick you out the moment she sees you?"

"I'm just worried that if things aren't smooth between us, it might hold you back," she replied playfully, casting him a teasing glance.

Her flirtatious look made him feel a bit light-headed. "There's no way you'd hold me back. I dream of marrying a smart and capable woman like you."

Everyone loves to hear sweet words, and Zong Hailan was a bit swept away by his compliments. "Oh, even though you're just stating the truth, hearing it from you still makes me shy."

They continued to exchange a few more affectionate words until they heard Zong Qinghui's cough.

"As long as you know how I feel, that's enough. I'll talk to you more about it later," Qi Haipeng said quickly before striding over to Zong Qinghui. "Uncle Zong, what do you need? I'm here to help."

Without any unnecessary words, he jumped right into work, which pleased Zong Qinghui. "Alright, just this small section here."

Qi Haipeng stumbled a bit, surprised at how straightforward Zong Qinghui was. He had barely done a little himself but expected him to handle such a large part. Still, thinking about the bigger picture, he held back from walking away. "Sure, let's do it together and get it done quickly."

He didn't realize that Zong Qinghui saw him as a potential son-in-law, thinking he was courting Zong Hailan, which is why he was given such a task. It was a delightful misunderstanding.

Zong Hailan also believed he was working hard because of her, which made her feel quite pleased. Even when Zong Haiying, who had once offended her, was slacking off, she didn't get upset and instead kept a cheerful smile.

Zong Fulai only found out at dinner that his father had bought that rundown plot of land, spending a full two hundred dollars. The three brothers were all smiles.

"From now on, our sister will be living next door. It's just like having her at home. That's great!" The eldest brother was genuinely happy, his smile pure.

The second brother nodded with a smile, "You're right, big brother. If Ren Yuanbo ever dares to act up, we'll roll up our sleeves and set him straight."

"Our sister is like an angel compared to him. He wouldn't dare," the third brother said dismissively. Living next to the in-laws with so many brothers around, Ren Yuanbo wouldn't have the guts to cause trouble.

"You're all right. Hopefully, he won't dare, but if he does, the three of us will teach him a lesson," the eldest brother added.

Zong Fulai saw his brothers standing firmly by his side and quickly reassured them, "Don't worry, big brother, second brother, third brother. Ren Yuanbo is a reasonable person. You know I always use reason to convince people."

"Exactly, don't stir things up unnecessarily. Fulai knows what he's doing," their father said, believing that matters of the heart, whether concerning his daughter or sons, were best left alone.

Luo Hongxia, the eldest sister-in-law, couldn't muster a smile and focused on feeding her son. Her heart was heavy with jealousy. How did they manage to buy a place so close? With the in-laws nearby, how could their family thrive?

Wang Honghua, the second sister-in-law, also felt a pang of jealousy, but she wasn't as resistant to things she couldn't change.

"Will the house next door have its own entrance, or will it connect to ours?" she asked.

"Of course, there will be two entrances: a main front door and a side door connecting to our place," Zong Qingshan replied, having planned this from the start.

Wang Meizhu, noticing his enthusiasm, asked, "Do you have a clear idea of how it will be built?"

"Yes, we'll keep the original foundation and renovate the upper part. It'll look similar to before, but definitely more beautiful," he explained.

The house used to belong to an adopted son of the Wang family. Although they had lived separately for a long time, everyone in the village knew the history, even if it wasn't officially documented.

The place was deserted, so the Wang family took over and refused to give it back. However, the house was too run-down to live in without major repairs, so they used it as a makeshift storage. The main thing was secretly using the small plot of land. If someone from the village stole vegetables, nobody reported it, and as the village head, he turned a blind eye.

"Once the harvest is over, you three brothers will come with me to the mountain to haul back the stones and timber we gathered years ago."

They planned to have some bricks and tiles made and get a few bags of cement. That would pretty much cover the materials they needed. Even without extra help, he and his three sons could rebuild the house quickly since they didn’t have to worry about laying a foundation. He had watched the foundation being built, and it was solid. Buying it for two hundred dollars was a steal.

While the Zong family was thrilled, the Wang family was in chaos. Mrs. Wang and Mr. Wang decided to sell the dilapidated property, and the rest of the Wang family found out almost last.

"I'm your son, your own flesh and blood, yet I had no clue about this. Why didn't you say anything before selling the house?" the third son of the Wang family said angrily.