Chapter 34: A Violation of Moral Principles?

Lu Qiaoge glanced at Cadre Liu and had to admit that, in a sense, he wasn't wrong.

She had obtained a book on current laws from Director He and had read it from cover to cover.

Current laws did not have clear provisions regarding inheritance rights. Following historical trends, relevant legal regulations would not be promulgated until 1985. At present, children's inheritance of parental property relied primarily on traditional customs, grassroots mediation, and scattered legal principles.

The Marriage Law promulgated in 1950 focused on abolishing old systems such as arranged marriages, concubinage, and child brides; its regulation of property relations was relatively brief because children's property rights were not a legislative priority.

In practice, things were mostly governed by traditional customs—for instance, as Shao Le had just said, he and his elder brother could fully distribute their parents' housing and property, whereas his two sisters had lost the right to share the inheritance because they had married out.

Despite the constant advocacy for gender equality, the actual implementation of it was a long and arduous process.

Just then, a familiar voice echoed in her mind: 【Little Fairy, I finally found you, hee hee!】

Lu Qiaoge hurriedly looked to the side and, sure enough, a tabby cat was perched on a nearby tree.

Only the tabby cat liked to call her "Little Fairy" or "Little Mistress. Other creatures addressed her by her full name.

Lu Qiaoge whispered to it in her mind, "I'm working, and it's a bit chaotic here. Go play somewhere else."

The tabby cat stood up and pointed to an old black cat crouching on the windowsill of the adjacent balcony, saying to Lu Qiaoge: 【Do you see that old black cat? It's crying. It used to be the cat raised by Zhou Li's mother. Master Zhou liked this cat too, but after Master Zhou died, the old black cat was kicked out by Luo Guixiang. Because the old black cat refused to leave, Luo Guixiang's son broke its leg. Now, the old black cat mostly stays over by the boiler room.】

As if activated by the surrounding atmosphere, Lu Qiaoge suddenly heard the old black cat's inner thoughts.

【Little Mistress, please don't die. Your mother left something for you, wuwuwu...】

Lu Qiaoge's eyes darkened. *Left something? Where?*

Her gaze fell upon Master Zhou's house on the first floor. *Could the item be inside the room?*

Things were about to get interesting.

Cadre Liu, naturally unaware of such mysteries, hurriedly said, "I wasn't wrong; I was speaking to you according to the relevant regulations."

Seeing so many people watching her make a fool of herself, Zhou Li had not rested properly since her return. She was staying with Granny Sun along with her husband and child, as Luo Guixiang would not let her step foot inside the house even half a step.

She opened the medicine bottle and stared deathly at Luo Guixiang. "You Luo woman, you are a venomous, heartless woman! If I die, it's because you drove me to it!"

The mute man suddenly knelt on the ground while holding the child. The child burst into loud wails, and the scene momentarily descended into chaos.

Lu Qiaoge shouted to the spectating tabby cat in her mind: "Go tell the old black cat to find an opportunity to pounce and knock the medicine bottle out of Zhou Li's hand."

At this moment, Lu Qiaoge could not communicate with the old black cat directly; she could only go through Huahua.

The crowd was in an uproar, so no one noticed the sudden "meow meow meow" sounds, nor did anyone notice the old black cat's fur suddenly bristling.

Cadre Liu shouted anxiously, "Don't do anything foolish! We can discuss this!"

Then, looking at the indifferent Luo Guixiang, he stamped his feet and yelled, "Old Luo, say something! After all, Zhou Li is Master Zhou's daughter!"

Luo Guixiang replied leisurely, "What do you want me to say? Isn't this how it is in our compound? No married daughter comes back to live in her parental home. Even if it were my own daughter who married out, wouldn't she have to go to her husband's family? If you ask me, the problem lies with Zhou Li's husband. Since Zhou Li married locally, she should live locally. Why come back to the city? I truly don't understand."

Cadre Liu's eyes bulged. "Old Luo, how can you speak like that?"

Luo Guixiang countered, "Am I wrong?"

Some people in the crowd chimed in.

"Housing is so tight these days. If all the married daughters came back, it would be total chaos."

"Exactly, exactly. That would disrupt the social order!"

Zhou Li was consumed by shame and indignation. She and her husband had ended up together by a twist of fate; her husband was an adopted son, and her mother-in-law's family treated them like beasts of burden. Her two-year-old son had almost been sold by the old woman. She had only thought of returning to the city because she had no other way to survive.

Things had already fallen apart in the countryside; returning in such disgrace felt worse than death.

*Death would be better. If I die, I can go over there and ask my biological father why he found such a cruel stepmother for me halfway through, driving me to a dead end.*

She raised the bottle to pour it into her mouth. The crowd immediately erupted into screams of "Ahhh!" Some people ran toward Zhou Li, and the mute man scrambled up and lunged forward frantically.

But this time, Zhou Li wasn't just bluffing; she truly didn't want to live.

Because Zhou Li was backed against a wall, and because everyone had underestimated her, there was no defense. By the time Zhou Li was about to drink the medicine, even the speed of her mute husband, who was closest, was of no use.

Many people's heads were spinning.

Cadre Liu's vision went dark, a fleeting thought crossing his mind: *It's over, it's over.*

DDT was extremely potent these days. Especially a bottle that large—even if they rushed her to the workers' hospital immediately, she wouldn't be saved.

At that exact moment, the old black cat, having finished communicating with the tabby, felt an immense surge of joy. It leaped from the windowsill and pounced toward Zhou Li.

The crowd only saw a black shadow flash before their eyes, accompanied by the sound of meowing in their ears.

Then, they saw Zhou Li, whose hands were now empty, standing there in a daze.

The mute husband scrambled over and pulled Zhou Li into a tight embrace, his silent weeping being deeply heart-wrenching.

As for Zhou Li, she stared blankly at the old black cat, which was looking up at her from within the crowd.

She pushed her husband aside and rushed forward in a single stride, and the old black cat took the opportunity to leap into her arms.

Zhou Li said in disbelief, "Xiao Hei, Xiao Hei, aren't you dead?"

Luo Guixiang frowned uneasily, but quickly dismissed it.

*It's just a cat, a mere beast. What's the difference between it being alive or dead?*

Many in the crowd breathed a sigh of relief. Someone shouted, "Isn't that the cat raised by Zhou Li's biological mother?"

"Oh my, that cat is truly spiritual! It saved Zhou Li!"

Some elderly women wanted to say it was the Bodhisattva's blessing, and others wanted to say it was Zhou Li's mother, Yu Xiu, protecting her only daughter, but considering the current situation, they quickly shut their mouths.

However, many people were secretly exchanging glances.

Lu Qiaoge lowered her voice and said to Cadre Liu, "Cadre Liu, I am a woman. Is it alright if I speak a few words to Zhou Li?"

Cadre Liu froze for a moment, then realized what she meant and nodded repeatedly.

Lu Qiaoge walked up to Zhou Li, who was crying while holding the old black cat, and introduced herself: "Comrade Zhou, I am a new cadre from the Sub-district Office. My name is Lu Qiaoge. May I speak with you for a moment?"

Zhou Li nodded slowly.

Lu Qiaoge's voice was crisp. "Comrade Zhou, Cadre Liu and Comrade Luo are correct. Regarding the house your father left behind, as a married daughter, you do not have the right to live here without Comrade Luo's consent."

(End of Chapter)