Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 904 - 462: True or False

First update, seeking pink tickets.

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"Jizu, hurry up and help Grandma back to the house." As everyone walked toward the Upper Room, Lian Manman instructed Lian Jizu.

When they reached the entrance of the Upper Room, they saw Lian Lanlan hurrying back from the backyard.

"Old Fourth, Fourth Sister-in-law, you’re all here." Seeing Lian Shouxin, Lady Zhang, and the others, Lian Lanlan’s face initially showed a hint of awkwardness but quickly turned into a smile as she greeted them.

During the New Year, neither Lian Shouxin nor Lian Shouli’s families went to Jinyang County Town. Before the Lantern Festival, Lian Lanlan sent someone to deliver a message to Lian Shouxin, inviting Lady Zhang and the children to the town to see the lanterns. Naturally, Lian Manman and her siblings didn’t go; they simply asked the messenger to report back that they were too busy.

After greeting Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang, Lian Lanlan finally noticed Lady Zhou, who was sitting on the ground.

"Mother, why are you out here? I was only in the backyard for a moment. Mother, come on, get up. The ground is so cold, you’ll fall ill if you stay like this." Lian Lanlan rushed forward to help Lady Zhou up.

Lian Manman nudged Lian Jizu to help as well.

"...If I freeze to death, these bastards will finally have peace of mind..." Lady Zhou cursed under her breath, but it was clear she had no intention of freezing to death. She wobbled as she stood up with the help of Lian Lanlan and Lian Jizu.

"Mother, didn’t I just send someone to deliver a message to Old Fourth’s family? Look, Old Fourth came so quickly. Mother, why are you still complaining? Old Fourth is here now, so everything will be fine.... And Jizu is here too. With your fourth son and eldest grandson around, Mother, you’ll have everything you need. Please, don’t complain anymore," Lian Lanlan coaxed Lady Zhou with a smile.

As Lady Zhou was halfway up, she suddenly froze. Her bloodshot eyes fixated on Lian Shouxin.

"You’re not going to help me?" Lady Zhou’s gaze at Lian Shouxin was peculiar.

Tossed out by the people in the Upper Room to Thirty Mile Camp, Lady Zhou hadn’t mentioned a word about it during her earlier tirade. Though she did not name anyone specifically, her relentless curses were aimed at her two sons who had stayed in Thirty Mile Camp. She even went from the kang (a heated brick bed) to the doorway, cursing loudly for the neighbors to hear, calling on the heavens to strike her sons with thunderbolts.

Lady Zhou’s personality hadn’t changed one bit. Morality, reason—none of that mattered to her. What she cared about was maintaining control over those she could manipulate.

"Even with two people helping, she couldn’t stand up. Jizu, you’re right—our grandma really can’t stand up anymore. Looks like she won’t be able to return to Taicang after all.... So she’ll just have to quietly stay here in Thirty Mile Camp. Anyway, over in Taicang, our grandfather and grandaunt don’t need her worrying about them, do they?" Lian Manman casually stepped in front of Lian Shouxin, glanced at Lady Zhou, and said loudly.

If it were any ordinary elderly person, Lian Manman would’ve been the first to rush over to help, without needing anyone to ask. But Lady Zhou wasn’t any ordinary elder. At this moment, if Lian Shouxin, Lady Zhang, or the others showed any sign of softness, any act of kindness toward Lady Zhou, she wouldn’t appreciate it. Instead, she’d see it as a signal—an indication that she could continue to manipulate them.

Since Lady Zhou’s sole intent was to exert control and intimidate, Lian Manman had no choice but to put away her kindness and treat Lady Zhou on her terms.

Lady Zhou’s gaze shifted from Lian Shouxin’s face to Lian Manman’s. She squinted sharply, then shut her mouth and stood upright.

"Ah, I must’ve been mistaken earlier. Our grandma can stand after all, so that makes things easier to discuss." Seeing Lady Zhou’s reaction, Lian Manman broke into a grin and added.

The group bustled into the Upper Room.

Having grown accustomed to the warmth of their own home, the moment Lian Manman entered this cold, empty house, she felt a chill. Although Lian Shouli and Lady Zhao came by daily to light the kang in the Upper Room, it was only enough to keep the place from freezing—not enough to make it livable.

Earlier, while still in the outer room, Lian Manman had taken a deliberate look. The fire pit under the stove was empty. Clearly, after Lian Lanlan and Lady Zhou had returned, no one had lit the kang for Lady Zhou. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Lian Lanlan helped Lady Zhou onto the kang to sit, while Lian Manman and the others found stools to sit on the floor.

Nobody spoke. The air in the room was heavy with awkwardness.

Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang had nothing to say. They had done nothing wrong. But as soon as Lady Zhou stepped into the house, she started cursing them, trying to tarnish their reputation in front of the neighbors. Now, they didn’t know what to say to her.

"Jizu, why are you back? Didn’t you return to Taicang?" After a long silence, Lady Zhou cast a sideways glance at Lian Jizu and asked.