When Wang Dagui approached Wang Qiqi, his expression shifted, adopting a look of profound sadness. "Brother, Brother! Doctor, please check on my older brother! Hurry and take him to the hospital."

Seeing his niece's demeanor and noting that the doctor hadn't even moved to administer first aid to his brother and sister-in-law, Wang Dagui knew in his heart that his brother and his wife were essentially gone. Hah, it hadn't been in vain that he rushed over from the mahjong table. He watched his niece stand there, utterly dumbfounded, and sneered internally. Hmph, so what if his sister-in-law came from a well-off family? So what if her parents left her two apartments? In the end, all of that would be his anyway, hah. It wasn't that Wang Dagui looked down on his niece, but Wang Qiqi had been sheltered too thoroughly by her parents. The girl had absolutely no concept of money; eventually, that money would naturally flow into his hands. As for the niece, he would pay for her to finish university and then provide a modest dowry. She was a girl, after all; the Wang family fortune belonged to him.

Li Cui saw the calculating look on her husband's face and immediately tugged at his sleeve. Although that girl Qiqi seemed lost in shock, there were so many people around. If they let anything slip, it would be disastrous. "Qiqi, dear, put your father down. He won't be comfortable like that..."

Hearing the loud voices of the couple, Wang Qiqi was reminded of the things they used to say when they thought no one was listening: how they would raise the niece after her parents were gone, the sudden kindness they showed her, and the shift in their demeanor once they believed they had successfully tricked them out of the properties. The mere thought made Wang Qiqi furious, but she knew this was not the time to drop her mask. She had to endure. Everything her father had told her—as long as she held onto it, it was enough. As for what they were plotting, she wouldn't let go of a single thing.

With that thought, Wang Qiqi decided, if they wanted to play the part of a loving uncle and aunt, she would play the part of a dutiful niece. "Uncle, my Dad, my Dad... he..." Wang Qiqi clutched Wang Dajun tightly. "My father was hit by a bad person."

Wang Dagui and Li Cui had already suspected Wang Dajun's demise, but hearing their niece confirm it filled Wang Dagui with elation. Nevertheless, he fought to maintain control. He still had his sister to consider—and Wang Dagui knew her too; she was just as obsessed with money as he was. "Be good, Qiqi. You still have your uncle. Your uncle and aunt will take care of you from now on."

Hearing Wang Dagui speak, Li Cui quickly chimed in to support her husband. She had long coveted her in-laws' three-bedroom apartment. Not only was it larger than their own two-bedroom unit, but her in-laws had also furnished it beautifully. By using the excuse of caring for Qiqi, they could move right in, and soon enough, they would be in charge of that property. "Qiqi, don't worry. Auntie will treat you well, just like my own daughter."

Hearing Li Cui say that made Wang Qiqi genuinely want to vomit. These two were truly shameless, and their performance was already earning praise from the surrounding onlookers.

"It's a blessing that she has such a good uncle and aunt; the child's life isn't completely miserable."

"Indeed. Kind-hearted relatives like that are rare these days."

Kind-hearted? Yes, very kind-hearted—kind enough to scheme for every apartment her brother and sister-in-law left for their niece, all while maintaining a good reputation in public. Wang Qiqi didn't need to look up to know that her uncle and aunt must be overjoyed right now; at least their act had gained public approval.

Wang Qiqi struggled to suppress her sobs. "Thank you, Uncle and Aunt. It's fine; I'm old enough now. I can take care of myself. Dad told me I need to learn to grow up."

The moment Li Cui heard Wang Qiqi say that, she became instantly irritated with her brother-in-law, who was dead yet still interfering with their acquisition of wealth. "Qiqi, well..." She started to say something about how, even though she was grown, it was better to have someone living with her, but Wang Dagui cut her off before the words were out. To be fair, Wang Dagui wasn't completely dull-witted; he simply channeled all his cleverness into plotting against his siblings.

"Qiqi, since your father is gone, why don't we call the funeral home and have them take your parents away?" If Wang Qiqi weren't present, Wang Dagui would immediately call the funeral home to have his brother and sister-in-law removed. He absolutely did not want his deceased brother and sister-in-law brought back to that apartment—it was too ominous. That apartment was supposed to be his, and even if he couldn't live in it, selling it would be good enough.

Li Cui chimed in beside him. "Yes, Qiqi. That way, you won't be frightened. Although it's a bit disrespectful to your parents, you're a timid girl, Qiqi. We mustn't let you be scared." Li Cui certainly didn't want Wang Dajun and his wife brought back either; it was too unlucky. How could a house where a wake had been held fetch a high price?

"No. They must go back to Dad and Mom's home." In her past life, her parents were taken directly by the funeral home, a decision the grown Wang Qiqi deeply regretted. Here, even if someone died in the hospital, the family was expected to bring them home first. "Though Qiqi is timid, those are her parents. They will watch over Qiqi from above, and I believe Mom and Dad will stay home and protect me, ensuring no bad people bully Qiqi." Hmph, I won't give you what you want; I'll say exactly this. Let's see if you dare to move in after that. "Besides, that house was bought with my Mom and Dad's hard-earned money. Why shouldn't they have their funeral services from home?"

Wang Qiqi knew her aunt was quite superstitious. Looking at it from another angle, perhaps she genuinely felt they had bullied her too much, worrying that if Wang Dajun and his wife saw it from below, they wouldn't offer them good fortune later. That might explain her frequent acts of burning incense and making donations.

Wang Dagui and Li Cui hadn't expected their niece to speak with such sharp eloquence. They exchanged a glance. How could their niece say such a thing? Had her parents mentioned anything to Qiqi before? But they quickly dismissed the thought; her parents' only constant demand of Qiqi was to study, study, study, and they rarely discussed family matters with her.

Wang Dagui decided not to argue further with Wang Qiqi. Being quick-witted, he changed the subject. "Qiqi, who would bully you? Besides, in this state, who would carry them back?"

Hearing Wang Dagui, Li Cui hastily agreed. "Right, Qiqi. You can't just leave your Mom and Dad lying here, can you? This isn't a solution."

Wang Qiqi knew the Wang Dagui couple wouldn't help move her parents home, but she wasn't some naive eighteen-year-old girl anymore. "It's fine." Wang Qiqi wiped away her tears, stood up, and addressed the crowd still gathered around. "Is there any kind person who could help transport my parents back? As their daughter, I wish for my parents to have their funeral rites from home, rather than being left alone in the cold funeral home."

The bystanders all nodded in agreement with Wang Qiqi's sentiment, but the issue was that while they thought her idea was noble, carrying the deceased was considered unlucky by most of them. The scene quickly grew quiet; no one was willing to step forward.

Wang Dagui and Li Cui were surprised that the girl had dared to speak up like that, but the ensuing silence made them exchange glances. The young girl was just that—young. Her ideas might be sound in some ways, but in others, no one would act on them.

Seeing the situation, Wang Qiqi did not lose heart. "For whoever transports my parents back, I will pay five hundred each." Wang Qiqi felt this money spent on her parents was worth it.

The onlookers gasped when they heard Wang Qiqi state the price. "Five hundred each?" At that time, a month's salary in that city was only a little over a thousand yuan. To move two bodies, a task taking perhaps an hour at most, would earn five hundred. While locals might not be tempted, the outsiders gathered nearby were certainly interested.

Upon hearing the price quoted, Li Cui almost cursed her for being a spendthrift. Transporting them to the funeral home and keeping them on ice cost hardly anything! Why was this child being so wasteful? Furthermore, if that dead girl was willing to pay five hundred yuan, it would be better for her and Dagui to take the money rather than give it to strangers. However, looking at the crowd surrounding them, she felt too embarrassed to speak up. The five-hundred-yuan price was meant for outsiders. If they, the uncle and aunt who had just performed such a loving display in front of everyone, immediately demanded money, what would people say?

Wang Dagui also felt a pang of pain. That money was theirs, and he couldn't believe his niece spent it without batting an eye. He certainly wasn't happy, but he quickly dismissed his anger. He figured his niece was simply a daughter spoiled by her parents, without any concept of how hard it was to earn money. But this development meant he could easily swindle the money later. As for Wang Qiqi's assertive demeanor just now, Wang Dagui automatically attributed it to the girl's reluctance to let her parents stay outside and insisted that she simply wanted to follow local custom.

Wang Qiqi didn't have time to ponder her uncle and aunt's thoughts right then. What mattered was whether anyone would agree to take her parents back. Before that, she needed to ask one more thing. "I only need two people. You all decide amongst yourselves."

With that said, Wang Qiqi walked over to the police officers. "Excuse me, Officer, may I take my parents back? And how should this matter be mediated? The other party was driving under the influence; shouldn't that carry criminal responsibility?" Wang Qiqi wasn't sure if drunk driving penalties were severe at this time, but she had to ask.

"They should be shot," a wealthy-looking woman in her forties interjected from the side, casting a contemptuous look at the drunken driver still snoring away, oblivious to what was happening. "You're under Captain [Jiaozhi Zui] of the traffic police, aren't you? Wait, this district falls under Min Zeyuan's jurisdiction, right?"

The traffic officer glanced at the woman, then nodded. "Yes, I am a subordinate of Captain Min." Being able to call the Captain by name suggested either a close personal connection or that her family possessed significant power and influence—someone even their own captain would treat with extreme caution.

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