Tian Jing smiled, "Manager Xu, we've been mistress and maid for a long time. This is all I can do for you. From now on, you're on your own."
Manager Xu felt a pang of sadness. After over a month of getting along, she knew that a young lady like Miss Tian was the best kind of mistress to have.
However, she had a son.
The servants from the Xiao family came and carried away the listless Manager Xu.
Old Master Xiao spoke, "If you want us not to call the police, you must immediately gift this courtyard to us."
Tian Jing remained seated, unfazed. "Huh? Your servant isn't listening to you? You just told him to call the police, why is he still here? Hurry up and call the police, I'm waiting."
Only then did Old Master Xiao realize something was wrong. "You? You didn't poison him?"
Tian Jing raised an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong with your body?"
Old Master Xiao was annoyed. How would he know if there was anything wrong with his body?
The medicine was colorless, odorless, and undetectable. Even an ordinary doctor taking his pulse wouldn't be able to detect it.
It would require precise instruments to check blood indicators and laboratory poison testing.
But he absolutely could not say this!
He hadn't even admitted to being the mastermind behind his brother's poisoning, so admitting this now would be self-incriminating.
Some things are better done than said.
"You and Manager Xu set a trap for us?"
"Is that possible?" Tian Jing pointed at Manager Xu by the servant's feet. "Look at her, so limp and lifeless, her spirit crushed. She genuinely thought she was going to die."
Old Master Xiao followed Tian Jing's gaze. Seeing Manager Xu, whose complexion had returned to normal, still lying there weakly, he was so enraged that he kicked her. "Are you still pretending?"
Manager Xu regained her composure. "What is it?"
"Tell me, why did you set a trap for me?"
"What?"
"You didn't take the poison at all."
"Impossible, I bought the medicine myself, I put it in the medicinal pouch myself..."
Manager Xu looked at Tian Jing in shock. "Miss, it was you, you switched my medicine?"
"That's right," Tian Jing nodded. "You were so eager to return to your son, and I've fulfilled your wish. Don't worry, your Old Master wouldn't dare do anything to you, otherwise, his entire family would be hit by a car the moment they stepped out, and when they eat..."
"Stop, stop."
Old Master Xiao raised his hand to interrupt Tian Jing. "A servant, can't I afford to keep one? You don't need to worry about it, I'll guarantee she's reunited with her son."
As for what life would be like after their reunion, he couldn't guarantee that.
"Miss~" Manager Xu wept tears of regret. Why had she been so focused on going back?
Tian Jing waved her hand. "Your heart isn't with me, and I don't want to keep someone like you around. I also don't want my home to be like a deep, inner courtyard. Simplicity is the most reassuring."
Manager Xu's tears stopped flowing. The young lady still disliked her, still detested her methods.
Before any negotiations could begin, they had been played by Tian Jing and, as a bonus, were given back a servant who would never again be truly loyal to them.
Old Master Xiao and Second Master Xiao felt as if they had swallowed excrement, utterly disgusted.
"Jingjing, let's discuss business."
Tian Jing didn't reply. She turned to Xiao Wei. "Miss Xiao Wei, do you have anything to say?"
Xiao Wei, who had been lost in thought, snapped back. "What?"
"Your Manager Xu is gone. Do you want to go back with her? When you came here, what did your uncle promise you?"
"Do you have the travel expenses to go back? If you go back together, he should cover your travel costs, right?"
Tian Jing was desperate to get rid of this bombshell. "Also, after the courtyard is sold, will you still have the right to live here? Have you asked your uncle? Don't you want to ask who between us two will be kicked out? You ask first."
Old Master Xiao had lost his patience. "Jingjing, stop beating around the bush. Once this courtyard is bought, you, her, and your maternal grandfather must move out immediately."
"Otherwise, why would I buy it? To let you live here? Am I crazy?"
Tian Jing raised an eyebrow and retorted to Xiao Wei, "See? This is your uncle. The uncle you thought loved you more than your father. He's heartless enough to drive you away, even though you're heavily pregnant."
"Stop talking!" Xiao Wei cried out. "I'm not selling it! I forbid you from selling it. I'm your mother, you must listen to me."
Tian Jing's voice was louder. "My maternal grandfather is also your father. Did you listen to what he said? He raised you for decades, and you don't listen to him. You've only been my mother for a few days, why should I listen to you?"
"This courtyard is mine. If I say I'm selling it, I'm selling it. After it's sold, you can get lost."
"No! I forbid you to sell it."
Xiao Wei's scream couldn't shake Tian Jing's resolve. She turned to face Old Master Xiao. "Sixty thousand, non-negotiable."
"Thirty thousand," Old Master Xiao counter-offered.
Tian Jing waved her hand, dismissively. "You can leave. I'll post a for-sale notice and sell it to someone else."
Second Master Xiao quickly tried to smooth things over. "Jingjing, we're talking about a sale. If we don't talk, how can a sale be made?"
"I said, non-negotiable. Don't you understand? Zheng Ge, ask Grandfather to write a for-sale notice, still at sixty thousand, non-negotiable."
"Understood."
Li Zhengguo turned to leave the reception room. If anyone was skilled at exploiting weaknesses, it was his wife.
"Wait, wait, Zhengguo, we'll buy it, we'll buy it."
Second Master Xiao urgently called out to Li Zhengguo. "Brother, if you can't come up with thirty thousand, then I'll pay for it myself. This courtyard will belong to me alone."
"Old Second!"
Old Master Xiao was so angry that he didn't even call his usually affectionate second brother by his name.
"Brother!"
Second Master Xiao's tone also turned sour. "A simple matter, and you've dragged it out for three to four days, being so indecisive. Jingjing has suffered for so many years, what's wrong with us compensating her a little?"
At this point, Old Master Xiao could only agree. "Alright, consider it compensation for Jingjing. Sixty thousand. Let's go get the transfer done now."
Tian Jing shook her head. "Because I didn't know you would be so decisive, we haven't prepared alternative accommodation."
"If we proceed with the transfer now, you must give me three days. Otherwise, you can come back to find me in three days."
Old Master Xiao looked at his second brother.
Second Master Xiao nodded. "Alright, we'll proceed with the transfer now and then give you three days to move."
"Words are not proof, let's sign a written agreement."
Old Master Xiao hesitated. This niece-in-law was no easy person. With a bet, she had even estranged her own mother.
Second Master Xiao also hesitated. Written agreements were too full of traps, and he didn't know what this niece-in-law was planning.
"Jingjing, how about this, we'll book three rooms for you at a hotel and pay for four days' accommodation..."
Tian Jing waved her hand. "No, moving is too tiring, mentally and physically. My grandfather's health doesn't permit it. Besides, a hotel wouldn't allow us to move all our furniture in."
Furniture?
Looking at it, it was clearly all secondhand. And they wanted to move it?
"We'll pay to buy it."
"Not selling!" Tian Jing ran her hand over the armrest of the antique armchair. Though worn, it would be an antique in the future.
She wasn't willing to leave it for these two scumbags. Even if it rotted and was destroyed in the dilapidated courtyard that Brother Zheng was going to buy, she would still move it.
Second Master Xiao looked at Tian Jing suspiciously. "We can add more money."
"No amount of money will make me sell. I like these old pieces of furniture. How about you come back in three days?"
Second Master Xiao felt that prolonged delay would bring trouble.
Old Master Xiao felt the same. After all the effort to get Tian Jing to agree, what if she raised the price in three days?
Plans could never keep up with changes.
Finally, Old Master Xiao and Second Master Xiao, eager to acquire the courtyard, had their sons sign a written agreement consenting to receive the property in three days.
Tian Jing sneered. Thinking too much is a sickness.