Chapter 1: Seizing the House at the Outset, Sending the Old Hag Flying with a Slap!
“Cough, cough… Am I dying?”
Chen Mo lay on the rickety wooden bed, feeling waves of weakness surging through his body.
It had been three months since he’d crossed over into this siheyuan in 1960.
The body’s original owner was an orphan, his parents having passed away early and leaving him to scrape by on a meager pension.
A few days ago, he had suddenly fallen gravely ill, a high fever burning without relief, leaving him little more than skin and bones.
“Chen Mo! Chen Mo, are you still alive?”
Outside the door came the familiar voice of Qin Huairu.
Chen Mo squinted; what was Qin Huairu doing here now?
“Huairu, do you think Chen Mo’s done for?”
Jia Zhang’s shrill voice followed immediately after.
“Mother, keep your voice down. What if he’s not dead yet?”
Qin Huairu lowered her voice, but Chen Mo heard every word clearly.
“Not dead? He hasn’t left his room in three days. He’s definitely finished,” Jia Zhang said, unable to contain her excitement.
“This house has three full rooms, and there’s still the pension.”
Chen Mo sneered inwardly. So, they’d finally come.
These two leeches—he wasn’t even dead, and they were already eyeing his inheritance.
Knock, knock, knock!
There came a rapping at the door.
“Chen Mo, we’re here to see you. Open up, won’t you?”
Qin Huairu’s voice was plaintive—anyone unaware of the truth might really believe she cared.
Chen Mo struggled to sit up, murmuring faintly, “The door… it’s not locked.”
The door creaked open and Qin Huairu, followed by Jia Zhang, entered the room.
The moment Qin Huairu stepped inside, she pinched her nose.
“Oh, the smell in here…”
Jia Zhang’s eyes, however, sparkled as she greedily surveyed the room.
“Huairu, look how nice this place is—it’s so much better than our two shabby rooms.”
“Mother, don’t say such things,” Qin Huairu chided, but her gaze roamed covetously over the furnishings.
Chen Mo watched their little performance, the flames of anger in his heart growing ever fiercer.
“Chen Mo, how’s your illness?” Qin Huairu asked gently, coming to the bedside, her face painted with concern.
“I… I’m holding on,” Chen Mo replied weakly.
“Holding on? To me, you look finished!” Jia Zhang suddenly barked, her voice sharp and grating. “Look at you, all skin and bones, your eyes sunken into your skull.”
“Mother, how can you say that?” Qin Huairu feigned reproach, but a flicker of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.
“I’m only speaking the truth!”
Jia Zhang pressed on, growing more animated with every word.
“Chen Mo, there’s no need to keep struggling. I can tell right away—this illness can’t be cured.”
“If it can’t be cured, don’t waste money on it.”
“Leave the money behind; at least then you’ll have done a good deed.”
Chen Mo nearly burst out laughing in disbelief—this old woman didn’t even try to hide her motives.
“Chen Mo, listen to my mother—don’t torment yourself any longer,” Qin Huairu echoed softly at his side.
“If you really can’t pull through, surely the house shouldn’t be left empty, right?”
“Our Jia family has always been good neighbors to yours.”
“Why not transfer the house to us?”
“That way, you’ll have done something worthwhile.”
Chen Mo stared in astonishment. The thickness of these women’s skin surpassed anything he’d ever seen.
He was still alive, yet they were already dividing his estate?
“I… I’m not dead yet,” Chen Mo managed to say with difficulty.
“Not dead? You might as well be!” Jia Zhang retorted bluntly. “Just look at you—how many days do you think you have left?”
“Rather than let the house go to waste, you should give it to us.”
“Our Banggen is still young; he needs a place to live.”
Rage surged through Chen Mo like never before.
These two vampires truly had no humanity at all.
Just then, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind:
[Host detected as the target of malicious scheming—Divine Healer’s Retribution System activating!]
[Beginner’s gift pack distributed: Godly Slap x1 (truth-telling effect attached), Set of Silver Needles!]
[System notice: Punish the beasts in the courtyard to earn retribution points, exchangeable for medical skills and items!]
Chen Mo froze for a moment, then was overwhelmed with joy.
His golden finger had arrived!
And just in the nick of time!
He could feel a surge of strength within his body—not a lot, but enough to let him stand.
“Chen Mo, have you made up your mind?” Qin Huairu, seeing his silence, assumed he’d acquiesced.
“I advise you to think it through and give us the house.”
“We’ll take good care of you.”
Chen Mo slowly rose to his feet, his gaze turning icy.
“Take care of me?”
“Are you here to care for me, or to split my inheritance?”
Qin Huairu’s expression changed, and she quickly tried to explain.
“Chen Mo, you’re mistaken—we really do care about you.”
“Care about me?” Chen Mo gave a cold laugh.
“I heard every word you said outside the door just now.”
“All about the house, the pension—did you think I was deaf?”
Jia Zhang’s face soured, but she remained defiant.
“We only said those things for your own good!”
“Your illness can’t be cured; rather than waste money, it’s better to…”
Smack!
A crisp slap resounded through the room.
Jia Zhang reeled from Chen Mo’s blow, spinning around and crashing heavily to the floor.
“You dare hit me?” Jia Zhang stared at him in disbelief, clutching her cheek.
“Not only do I dare hit you, but I’ll also make you tell the truth!”
Chen Mo could feel the effect of the godly slap taking hold.
Sure enough, Jia Zhang’s eyes began to glaze over.
“Why did you really come here today?” Chen Mo asked coldly.
“We… we came to divide up your inheritance,” Jia Zhang answered mechanically.
“The First Uncle said, as soon as you die, this house will belong to our Jia family.”
“And your pension, too—it’s all ours.”
Qin Huairu’s face went ashen; she hurried to intervene.
“Mother, stop talking!”
But Jia Zhang could not stop.
“The First Uncle said Chen Mo is an orphan, with no relatives.”
“When he dies, there’ll be no one to inherit the house or the money.”
“Our Jia family is closest to him, so we’re entitled to it all.”
“So he told us to persuade Chen Mo to hurry up and die, and not waste any more money treating his illness.”
Qin Huairu was completely panicked now—if these words got out, her reputation would be utterly ruined.
“Mother, what nonsense are you spouting?”
“I’m not talking nonsense!” Jia Zhang snapped back.
“Huairu, why are you pretending? Last night you said if Chen Mo doesn’t die, all our effort will be for nothing.”
“You also said, if he refuses, we’ll make a scene and scare him to death.”
As Chen Mo listened to these words, his anger reached its zenith.
These people were truly beyond redemption.