I carried my slippers to the faucet in the yard, rinsed the clean-looking shoes again, and left them in the sun.

    Guessing that it would take a while for him to finish eating, I picked up the rag and glanced at him from time to time while wiping the dust off the corners of the yard.

    In the past, when my grandfather was still alive, rattan tables and chairs were usually placed under the eaves of the main house or in the middle of the courtyard. It was very comfortable to drink tea and enjoy the scenery. After the grandfather could not afford to lie down, no one had this leisure time anymore. The rattan table and rattan chair were moved to the corner against the courtyard wall. There were two dragon spit pearls and a few lilac incense trees, all of which grew long. It has been more than ten years, and Jiulixiang is as tall as a person, and the thick leaves of Longtuzhu vines clinging to it just cover his figure.

    I couldn't see him clearly, but through the shadow of Fu Shuhua, I could make sure that he had been sitting there in an orderly manner, without any restless movements.

    I am a little relieved, although the people on the island are simple and honest, not to mention murders, even chirping dog thieves rarely happen. Grandpa has always proudly said that his hometown is Peach Blossom Land, and he would rather live alone in the old house than move to the city to live with his father, but I have lived in a big city for a long time, and occasionally there is a little pity, but my vigilance is always only More or less.

    While thinking about it, the voice of my stepmother came faintly, and I immediately put down the rag.

    Shen Yanghui ran out of the room excitedly, shouting, "Shen Luo, why did you get up so early?"

    Shen Yanghui is my half-brother, a typical independent

    give birth

    Xingge, there is no bad intentions, but a fourteen-year-old boy, when the "secondary disease" is at its most severe, is not likeable.

    Before I could answer him, Dad's voice floated out from the bathroom on the second floor, "Shen Yanghui, how many times have you said it? Call me sister!"

    Shen Yanghui made a face and muttered nonchalantly: "Shen Luo doesn't call my mother 'mother', do I have to call her sister? Right, Shen Luo?"

    The stepmother came out and greeted me with a smile, "Xiaoluo, good morning!"

    I also smiled, "Aunt Yang, good morning!" My stepmother's surname was Yang. When she married my father, I was ten years old. The children of divorced families are all precocious, and I basically understand what should be understood or not. From the very beginning, I knew she didn't plan to be my stepmother. I would rather be scolded by my father than call her mother, only Aunt Yang, which she accepted.

    Aunt Yang patted Shen Yanghui on the back and urged, "Go brush your teeth and wash your face." She raised her voice and called out, "Haisheng, stare at your son brushing his teeth, or he will fool people again."

    I laughed and shook my head. After so many years, I am already twenty-five years old, no longer the ten-year-old girl, but my stepmother is still the same, always reminding me from time to time that between her and my father, I am not a family member, but an outsider. , but forgot that this is not the home in Shanghai where she and her father only have two bedrooms, this is my grandfather's home, where I grew up, and she is an outsider.

    Country people are not so particular, and the spacious kitchen is also the dining room. By the time Dad and the others finished washing up, I had already made breakfast.

    Aunt Yang said politely: "It's really troublesome Xiaoluo."

    I said lightly: "You're welcome, I've already eaten it, you can do whatever you want."

    Dad wanted to say something embarrassingly, but Shen Yanghui had already picked up the bowl and started eating, so he had no choice but to say, "Eat it!"

    While eating breakfast, there was a knock on the door.

    Just as I was about to open the door, Shen Yanghui had already jumped out like a rabbit and opened the courtyard door. Dad was worried, put down the dishes, and walked out, "Yang Hui, how many times have I told you, you must ask before opening the door, and only people you know can open the door..."

    Standing outside the door was a well-dressed man with glasses, a light blue striped shirt, and straight black trousers. He was hiding under the gentleness, and he was obviously not a native of the island. Dad's words of reprimanding Shen Yanghui were temporarily interrupted.

    He looked at the person suspiciously, "Who are you looking for?"

    With a professional smile, the other party took out his business card and introduced himself: "I am lawyer Zhou Buwen. I was entrusted by Mr. Shen to execute his will. Are you Mr. Shen? We made an appointment on the phone a few days ago. See you today."

    Dad hurriedly welcomed the other party into the house, "Yes, yes! I didn't expect you to be so early, I thought you would arrive at noon." The boats from the mainland to the island depart twice a day, one at 7:30 in the morning and one at 11:30 in the morning. Arrived on the island at 3:00, and the other group arrived at 12:00 noon and 4:00 pm.

    Lawyer Zhou smiled and said, "To be safe, I came here by the boat at noon yesterday."

    The stepmother didn't care about eating anymore, so she came out in a hurry, and quickly stabilized, and said to me in a cover up: "Xiaoluo, let's listen to it together, it has something to do with you too."

    Dad politely asked Lawyer Zhou to sit in the living room, and my stepmother poured hot tea diligently. I didn't know what to do for a while, so I could only stand by the door in silence.

    Dad and Lawyer Zhou exchanged a few words. Lawyer Zhou put down the tea cup. Dad and stepmother understood that Lawyer Zhou was going to get to the point, and they were a little nervous. The stepmother pulled Shen Yanghui to her side and hugged him tightly, as if she could rely more on her.

    Lawyer Zhou said: "Mr. Shen's property is very simple and clear, so our inheritance procedures will also be very simple and clear. Mr. Shen's property has two parts, one part is fixed property, this house, the total area of ​​​​the homestead is... …”

    Following the lawyer's words, the stepmother looked up at the old house. Although the house is an old one, the layout is reasonable, the courtyard is spacious, and the rough wood is prosperous. Even a picky person like her likes it. Unfortunately, this house is not in Shanghai, but on an island with inconvenient access. Although the houses here have appreciated a little over the years due to the arrival of tourists, they are not real tourist destinations such as Sanya and Qingdao after all.

    After explaining the current situation of the old house in detail, Lawyer Zhou added: "Although the house is privately owned, this house is not a commercial house, and the state stipulates that no homestead can be bought or sold, so if you don't live in the house, you can only rent it. It cannot be publicly traded."

    The stepmother couldn't help but say: "Those old houses by the sea can still be rented out and converted into inns. This house is on a mountain, not by the sea, and it is not convenient to connect to the sea. If it can't be sold, who will it be rented to?"

    Attorney Zhou smiled politely, did not answer the stepmother's question, but continued: "Except for this house, the rest of Mr. Shen's property is in cash, because Mr. Shen does not know how to manage money, and all cash is in regular Deposits, a total of 1.1 million, are stored in CCB and ABC."

    Dad and stepmother were overjoyed, couldn't help but smiled and glanced at each other, and immediately controlled it, but Shen Yanghui couldn't hide his thoughts, and shouted happily, "Mom, mom, you're right, grandpa really hid the money! Don't forget, you promised me that after paying off the mortgage, you can buy a car with the remaining money, and you can send me to school!"

    The stepmother glanced at me and said meaningfully, "Don't be ridiculous, this money is not necessarily for you! Although you are the only grandson of the Shen family, who told you not to please grandpa! However, grandson It is the grandson, if the distribution is unfair, your father will not agree."

    The stepmother bumped Dad with her elbow. Dad pretended to be dignified and said, "Continue to listen to Lawyer Zhou. Dad will have a bowl of water."

    I stared at the ground without saying a word. It's not that I am tolerant, nor that I am submissive, but at this moment, when I think that this is all grandfather's arrangement before his death, in a trance, I seem to see grandfather sitting on the bamboo chair and giving the lawyer every word. . In my memory, grandpa never bothered the younger generation, and arranged everything in good order, even his own affairs. Unspeakable sourness surged up, I was afraid that as soon as I opened my mouth, I would burst into tears, so I could only bite my lip tightly and listen quietly.

    Seeing that no one had any further comments, Lawyer Zhou continued: "According to Mr. Shen's will, the property is divided into two parts, one is a fixed deposit of 1.1 million yuan, and the other is the house at No. 92 Mazu Street. , and all the property in the house. One for granddaughter Shen Luo and one for grandson Shen Yanghui..."

    Hearing this, the stepmother, who had been holding her breath, slammed the table and shouted angrily, "The old man is so unfair! He gave all his money to others, but only left a worthless old house for Yang Hui. , even if you find a way to sell it privately, you can sell it for 200,000 yuan. Shen Haisheng, let me tell you, you must come forward, and even if you sue the court, you must re-divide the property! No matter where you go, there is no Granddaughter has more truth than grandson!"

    Lawyer Zhou stared at the document as if he hadn't heard it before, and when his stepmother's voice fell, he said in a hurry, "Which part of the two properties is for the grandson and which one is for the granddaughter? The right to choose was given to Shen Luo and Shen Yanghui, and the two of them made their own choice."

    The stepmother was stunned for a moment, and asked nervously, "Who chooses first?"

    Lawyer Zhou said, "Mr. Shen has no rules. You can negotiate on your own!" After speaking, Lawyer Zhou closed the folder, raised the teacup, and drank the tea with concentration, as if he no longer existed.

    The stepmother stared at me sharply, and kept pushing Dad with her hands, motioning for him to speak.

    Dad still didn't completely forget that I was his child too, he said hesitantly, "Xiaoluo, look... Who should choose this first?"

    The stepmother whispered in Shen Yanghui's ear that Shen Yanghui's "secondary illness" had occurred, and ignored the "pro-qíng strategy" instructed by her mother, but said unceremoniously, "Shen Luo, I have to choose first!"

    I had already made a decision in my heart and calmly asked my stepmother, "Who does Aunt Yang want to choose first?"

    The stepmother had to pick it out and say: "Xiaoluo, look... your younger brother is still young. In the future, he will study, find a job, get married and have a wife. There are still many places to spend money. You have already graduated from college. The education fee is all paid by grandpa, but your brother didn't spend a penny from grandpa... According to qíng, you should let your brother choose first."

    I smiled wryly. My living expenses and education expenses are all paid by my grandfather. Is that what I want? When I glanced at my father, my father avoided it, and I didn't bother to bother anymore, so I said to my stepmother, "Okay, let Yang Hui choose first!"

    Lawyer Zhou, who had been pretending not to exist, immediately put down the teacup, raised his head, and asked Shen Yanghui, "Which property do you choose?"

    Before Shen Yanghui said it, his stepmother had already said, "Cash, we want cash in the bank."

    Shen Yanghui followed his mother and repeated it in exactly the same way: "Cash, we want cash in the bank."

    Lawyer Zhou looked at me and I said, "I want a house."

    Attorney Zhou took out a stack of documents from the document bag, "Please review these documents. If there is no problem, please sign. My assistant will continue to follow up on the next related procedures."

    After we read the documents and signed our names, Attorney Zhou straightened his clothes and stood up. He shook hands with us and said goodbye: "Please forgive me!"

    After watching Lawyer Zhou leave, Dad closed the courtyard door.

    As the stepmother went upstairs with the documents, she said loudly, "I'm going to pack up, and we'll leave in time for the 12:30 noon boat. If we can get a ticket for tomorrow morning, we'll be home in the afternoon."

    Shen Yanghui cheered "Ow" and ran upstairs with joy: "Back to Shanghai!"

    Seeing that his wife and son have the attitude of "don't want to stay for a moment", my father knew that there was no room for objection, so he could only say to me regularly: "The company holiday is only ten days...I, I...have to go back to work. "

    Over the years, I have given up my heart, and I don't have any extravagant expectations for him. Dad is not a bad person, but sometimes a kind person who is cowardly, confused and unprincipled can be more chilling than a bad person.I said calmly, "Well, I see. Thank you Dad for coming back in time this time." Although I had been with my grandfather for the last six months, my dad came back after my grandfather closed his eyes, and he also ran back and forth.He did his best to handle his grandfather's funeral.