Chapter 93 Moral Kidnapping (2)
Chapter 93: Moral Hijacking (Part 2)
Thinking of this, Mengyu asked the neighbors, "So who is Ma Dapan’s brother?"
Sure enough, as soon as Mengyu mentioned Ma Dapan’s brother, the neighbors’ faces all changed.
Granny Long looked around before saying, "Her brother is a repeat offender, a hooligan through and through."
A tall and thin neighbor added, "Her brother is named Ma Dana. She raised him, and he listens to her every word. If anyone dares to cross Ma Dapan, her brother will help her settle scores with them, until they come bearing gifts and apologize to her."
Repeat offender here doesn’t refer to a play’s title, but a metaphor for someone who has been detained or imprisoned for the second time.
No wonder everyone is afraid of Ma Dapan; she has a brother who’s been in jail.
"So, it’s not so much Ma Dapang you all are afraid of, but rather Ma Dana?" Mengyu glanced at the neighbors, "And that’s why you’re helping Ma Dapan, blocking others from buying Old man Chen’s house? Even if Old man Chen is anxious to go live with his son, even if his son urgently needs the money?"
The neighbors all averted their eyes, their guilt showing.
Mengyu continued to question, "Do you know what price Ma Dapan offered me to transfer the house to her?"
The neighbors shook their heads.
Mengyu held up a finger, "Twelve Thousand. She offered me just twelve thousand to transfer the courtyard to her, which I bought for thirty thousand yuan."
Upon hearing Mengyu’s words, the neighbors were all greatly taken aback. Previously, Ma Dapan was willing to spend fifteen thousand to buy Old man Chen’s house, but no sooner had this young girl bought the place, than Ma Dapan tried to take it off her hands for twelve thousand.
Was this an act of bullying because the young girl was an outsider?
"The courtyard, for which I spent thirty thousand yuan just yesterday, she wants to strong-arm me today into selling it for twelve thousand. Are you still advising me to transfer the house to Ma Dapan?"
The neighbors had no response; after all, nobody would agree to sell a courtyard bought for thirty thousand yuan for a mere twelve thousand.
But they would not voice this opinion because the threat Ma Dapan had left with was still ringing in their ears.
Mengyu was even more perplexed, "Do you really want such a person to be your neighbor every day from now on?"
Clearly, the neighbors didn’t want that, but did they have a choice?
They didn’t want to be neighbors with Ma Dapan, but could this young girl truly protect her property?
No, that’s not the issue. The key was, they didn’t stop Old man Chen from selling the house to the young girl, and now that thug of a brother might trouble them for it!
Mengyu sighed, "Don’t you realize that the more you give in to evil people, the more they will press on you, crushing you completely? Are you going to wait until you’re completely cornered before you stand up to fight back? Are you sure that by then, you’ll still have the strength to resist?"
Granny Long shook her head, "I don’t want such a malicious neighbor. But— "
The other few neighbors shook their heads as well, "We don’t want it either. It’s just— "
The tall thin woman looked distressed, "But Ma Dapan told me, if I don’t stop someone from buying Old man Chen’s courtyard, and if it’s sold to someone else, she’ll have her brother go to Longmen Road Primary School and make trouble for my son."
She started crying, "If you don’t sell the house to her, what am I supposed to do? What about my son?
Do you just want to watch my son get hurt by that ex-con?
At such a young age, how can your heart be so cruel, sob sob—"