Xia Xiaolan treated her classmates to a meal in the cafeteria.

All the female students from the ’84 class attended, and even several male classmates who were somewhat close to Xia Xiaolan came.

Ning Xue didn’t attend – Room 305 residents said she had taken leave to go home.

Xia Xiaolan didn’t mind much.

Ning Xue might be slightly impacted, but she wasn’t someone who would be easily defeated.

While Cornell University was challenging for Xia Xiaolan, Ning Xue was a third-generation academic elite in Chinese architecture. It wouldn’t be difficult for Ning Yanfan to arrange foreign university applications for Ning Xue. Being an exchange student at Cornell wasn’t anything to boast about to Ning Xue – she might directly enroll at Cornell for regular studies any moment!

The person truly delighted about Xia Xiaolan’s confirmed American journey was Grandmother Yu.

When Xia Xiaolan sent the news home, Grandmother Yu repeatedly exclaimed “Good!”

Then she turned to retrieve something she had prepared long ago.

“A sales agreement?”

It stated that Grandmother Yu would sell her property at No. 45 Erqi Square, Shangdu, to Xia Xiaolan for 1 yuan.

Though No. 45 had only three storefronts, there was housing above them.

Currently, workers from Shangdu State Cotton Mill No. 3 live upstairs, entering through the back courtyard gate rather than the clothing store entrance… meaning the building included a courtyard. When Xia Xiaolan first rented this storefront, it was only 2,000 yuan per year – she had started early before Shangdu had many private businesses when rental rates weren’t established and everything was negotiated individually.

Now that “Blue Phoenix” had become a thriving business under Xia Xiaolan’s family’s management, people would fight over the three storefronts at No. 45 even for annual rent over 10,000 yuan.

The building with its courtyard occupied two mu of land, located on Erqi Square, the future commercial center of Shangdu district, yet Grandmother Yu wanted to sell it for 1 yuan. Why charge 1 yuan? Probably worried that after her passing, with no blood relation to Xia Xiaolan, there might be inheritance issues – better to symbolically charge 1 yuan and make it a sale.

Grandmother Yu had thought of this herself, without anyone’s suggestion.

Xia Xiaolan held the sales agreement as if it burned:

“Grandmother Yu, I haven’t even found anyone yet, you don’t need to do this! Even if I find him, do you know how much this building on Erqi Square is worth? People might be willing to pay hundreds of thousands now – it’s extremely profitable for business, and might be worth even more in the future!”

Buying it for 1 yuan would be taking advantage of Grandmother Yu’s dependence on her to find someone.

Xia Xiaolan only wanted the right of first refusal and never intended to get the building for free.

Her insistence on America rather than England was indeed to help find Grandmother Yu’s son. But getting into Cornell University wasn’t a loss for Xia Xiaolan.

With accommodation and living expenses covered by the state, though she’d have other expenses for the year, she might even earn more money in America.

Already not at a loss, taking Grandmother Yu’s building would make even the mercenary Xia Xiaolan feel guilty.

Grandmother Yu wouldn’t accept this reasoning:

“Take it since I’m giving it to you, finding someone costs money too. As long as we can find him, I can die with my eyes closed! I’ve enjoyed enough wealth in the first half of my life, I’m not afraid to tell you the truth – whether we find him or not, the Erqi Square building will be yours. For the remaining properties, if we find your Uncle Xu they’ll go to him, if not… they’ll be donated to the state.”

How much was it worth?

With the country’s reform and opening up in full swing, the clever Xia Xiaolan was building and selling houses in special zones.

With businesses multiplying, No. 45 Erqi Square’s location was excellent. Grandmother Yu wasn’t some ignorant village woman – how could she not know No. 45’s value?

But she’d seen plenty of money – you can’t take it with you when you die, it’s far less important than family.

Before the founding of the People’s Republic, her family had been wealthy in Shangdu, but hadn’t they handed everything over after?

Today’s wealth might not last until old age – Grandmother Yu saw this.

She had no worries about food or clothing now – what use was money?

Grandmother Yu’s generosity made Xia Xiaolan increasingly uncomfortable.

When signing the lease agreement, Xia Xiaolan had certainly gotten a great deal. A 10-year continuous lease, starting at 2,000 yuan the first year, increasing annually… Yuan Honggang, the deputy factory director of State Cotton Mill No. 3 who acted as an intermediary, had no objections, nor did the owner Grandmother Yu.

But Xia Xiaolan knew how fast the economy would develop. Storefronts renting for 2,000 yuan in ’83 wouldn’t be available for even 20,000 yuan by ’93.

Only Xia Xiaolan knew the development trends. When renting, she wasn’t close to Grandmother Yu, and not taking advantage would have been foolish. Getting a good deal through her foresight – should she have been so noble as to voluntarily pay 20,000 yuan annual rent?

Xia Xiaolan wasn’t that crazy!

Now the situation was different – she and Grandmother Yu had become like family.

If she couldn’t find Xu Zhongyi abroad, Xia Xiaolan was prepared to care for Grandmother Yu in her old age… Since things were this way, no need for false modesty. Xia Xiaolan picked up the pen and signed the sales agreement, then pulled out 1 yuan to give Grandmother Yu.

Grandmother Yu also signed, having prepared red ink earlier – they made quite a formal procedure of it.

Grandmother Yu slapped the money on the table, “Afen, add an extra dish tonight!”

One yuan couldn’t even buy a jin of meat.

Using this money for an extra dish meant half meat, half vegetables.

A building on Erqi Square – Grandmother Yu had exchanged it for a single dish.

This was probably the worst business deal in several generations of Grandmother Yu’s family, but she was quite happy!

Liu Fen entered and learned what had happened, staring at the money on the table in disbelief. She pulled Xia Xiaolan aside: “Your Grandmother Yu is being foolish, how can you go along with it? Whatever agreement this is, it’s not valid!”

Grandmother Yu slapped the table, “Why wouldn’t it be valid? Money and goods have changed hands – haven’t you been in business long enough to understand? Fine then, you just tricked me into coming to Beijing, tricked me into being your slave watching the house, never intending to help find my son!”

Liu Fen was dumbfounded.

Xia Xiaolan smiled bitterly, “Mom, aren’t we going to care for Grandmother Yu in her old age?”

Of course, they would.

Grandmother Yu had taught and helped her all along. Liu Fen had lost her mother young, and her former mother-in-law had been terrible. It was only through renting Grandmother Yu’s house that she learned how to handle life and relationships. After two years together, Liu Fen had long considered Grandmother Yu a true elder – wasn’t caring for her in old age natural?

“Then this building isn’t such a bad deal – just consider it Grandmother Yu leaving her inheritance early!”

Liu Fen felt even more uneasy.

She didn’t need any inheritance.

Xia Xiaolan also felt her mother didn’t need any inheritance.

The business licenses for several clothing stores were all in Liu Fen’s name. The business Xia Xiaolan had initiated was now fully managed by Liu Fen.

But Grandmother Yu wouldn’t give up the building, worried Xia Xiaolan wouldn’t search wholeheartedly. Xia Xiaolan didn’t want to argue with Grandmother Yu.

Buying a building in Shangdu for 1 yuan?

What looks like a loss might not be a real loss, what looks like taking advantage… well, she had indeed taken advantage of Grandmother Yu. Taking someone’s money meant doing their task – she had to find Xu Zhongyi. Whether alive or dead, what was his current situation, had he forgotten he had parents in China?!