As soon as he saw this familiar old neighborhood, with its somewhat dilapidated buildings, Brian Carter completely gave up on the idea that his family might be rich.

In his memory, Brian Carter had always harbored a grievance over the years.

That was not becoming a “second-generation demolition beneficiary”!

Ever since the start of the 21st century, there had been rumors that Jinghu Garden Community would be demolished, but the rumors came every year, and yet by 2018, Jinghu Garden was still Jinghu Garden.

He didn’t feel much of that “nervousness upon returning home.” In fact, just a few days before his rebirth, Brian Carter had come back to Jinghu Garden to visit his parents.

Now, his parents were younger, which was a good thing, and there was no need for any complicated emotions.

Building 6, Apartment 101.

Standing outside the door, Brian Carter didn’t knock. He took out a key from his pocket and opened the door directly.

As soon as the door opened, what greeted him was a cramped living room.

As an old neighborhood with buildings over 30 years old, the apartments were all small. Most of the old houses from back then were small units.

Although Brian Carter’s family had a two-bedroom, one-living-room layout, the actual area was very small, only about 60 square meters.

After so many years of living there, the house was filled with all sorts of odds and ends, making the already small living room feel even more crowded.

Though crowded, it wasn’t too messy. The not-so-large living room was kept very clean by Mrs. Carter.

Being on the first floor of an old neighborhood had many drawbacks: it easily attracted snakes, bugs, rats, and ants; it was prone to dampness; there was more dust; and when other residents went upstairs, their footsteps could often be heard if they were loud.

But despite all the drawbacks, the one advantage was probably being able to fence off a small yard.

And in an old neighborhood like Jinghu Garden, the property management had long since become defunct, and other relevant departments wouldn’t pay much attention here, so the yard wouldn’t be torn down as an illegal structure.

That was the case for the The Carter Family. In front of the living room, there was another door leading directly to the backyard.

The kitchen and bathroom at home were both built in the yard, while the original kitchen and bathroom had been converted into a small room, which was now Brian Carter’s bedroom.

Strictly speaking, there was no need to remodel a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment.

But Brian Carter also had a younger sister in middle school, so with a family of four squeezed into this small house, it really would be hard to manage without a yard.

Speak of the devil, and the devil appears.

Brian Carter was squatting down to change his shoes, thinking about all this, when he heard his younger sister Ryan Carter’s voice coming from the small room on the right side of the living room.

“Brian Carter, you actually have the nerve to come back!”

Ryan Carter’s voice was a bit sharp, but she was only 13 this year. No matter how sharp a young girl’s voice was, it wasn’t as grating as an old woman’s.

Accompanied by her angry, sharp voice, a figure soon burst out of the small room.

The not-so-tall Ryan Carter still had a bit of baby fat on her face, making her cheeks look round and chubby. Her glare wasn’t off-putting; instead, it made her look even cuter.

As soon as he saw Ryan Carter, Brian Carter felt his hands itch. He didn’t ask why Ryan Carter was angry, nor did he say anything else.

Without another word, he got up skillfully, walked over, and pinched the little girl’s chubby cheeks, pulling them gently to both sides.

Under Ryan Carter’s furious glare, Brian Carter said with a look of satisfaction, “I haven’t pinched them in so long—finally got the chance!”

This little girl, whose face was still round and chubby now, would suddenly turn into an oval face in a few years, and the baby fat would be gone—who knew where it would go.

That had always been a regret for Brian Carter!

Chubby, round cheeks felt so nice to pinch, but suddenly turning into an oval face—how annoying.

Brian Carter was content, while Ryan Carter was fuming. She slapped away Brian Carter’s “devilish claws” and complained angrily, “Mom, Brian Carter is pinching my face again!”

Out in the yard, Mrs. CarterEmily Thompson, who was busy in the kitchen, didn’t even turn her head and replied with a smile in her voice, “Stop messing around. When your dad gets home, we’ll eat. I made something delicious for you today.”

“Mom!”

Ryan Carter called out in frustration, and when she saw her mom wasn’t taking her side, she glared angrily at Brian Carter.

Then she remembered her real purpose and said angrily, “Brian Carter, pay me back!”

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb! Mom gave us 50 yuan, and she said half for you and half for me. Why is there only 5 yuan on my desk? Where’s the rest?”

Brian Carter’s eyes went blank. Was there such a thing?

So, the 28 yuan in his pocket today—aside from lunch money, the rest all belonged to this girl?

But Brian Carter, who was already penniless, only had 15 yuan left in his pocket now. A grown man couldn’t just have empty pockets, right? He had to keep at least a little.

With no intention of paying her back, Brian Carter immediately shook his head and said, “I don’t know, maybe you spent it yourself. Look again.”

“Brian Carter!”

“Call me ‘brother.’”

“Brother, my foot! You just bully little girls. Mom, aren’t you going to say something to him?”

“……”

The siblings bickered for a while, and in the end, the little girl lost the battle, her face full of gloom.

While Brian Carter found it funny, he also felt a bit helpless. Life was just too tough.

Just for a bit of pocket money, he’d bullied his little sister like this.

Under Ryan Carter’s half-skeptical gaze, Brian Carter promised her all sorts of benefits, finally making the little girl forget that her big brother had just swindled her out of 20 yuan.

If he weren’t feeling guilty, Brian Carter thought he could probably trick the remaining 5 yuan out of her, too.