She should’ve skipped viewing the last property.
The location wasn’t as good as the first two, the price wasn’t much cheaper, and she encountered a mad dog.
The only pleasure came from seeing Chang Zheng’s miserable state. Xiao Lan wasn’t a saint – seeing Chang Zheng’s family struggling naturally brought her joy.
She shouldn’t waste too much energy on these people anymore. After entering Huaqing, Xiao Lan realized her previous perspective had been too narrow. What was Xia Zi Yu worth? While it was fine to deal with her when convenient, why should she put everything else aside just to fight with Zi Yu all day?
After viewing the house, Xiao Lan discussed her thoughts with Yong Liu.
When Yong Liu heard about buying a house in Beijing… this differed from his plans to settle in the provincial capital. Moving from Qijing Village to the provincial capital was already a big leap. He’d been looking for suitable properties there, even asking Yong Cai Hu to help search, ready to buy when the right one appeared.
Planning to buy in the provincial capital, he’d resisted renovating their village house.
His wife Feng Mei Li said her sister and niece’s house was beautifully renovated, which tempted him.
But buying in the provincial capital came first, then renovating the village house. If not for the government guesthouse project, Yong Liu wouldn’t have nearly as much money as Xiao Lan. She seized every money-making opportunity, while Yong Liu focused on honest renovation work. Just recently, Xiao Lan and Xi Liang Chen’s partnership ordered 30,000 sportswear sets. They each made several tens of thousands – how many small projects would Yong Liu need to match that?
They hadn’t even bought a house in Shangdu yet, and now Xiao Lan wanted him to buy in Beijing.
Xiao Lan mentioned sixty to seventy thousand yuan. Yong Liu could manage it but hesitated whether they should buy.
“Think about it – we won’t live in this Beijing house, your aunt and I. Why not just buy in Shangdu? For this price, we could get two houses there?”
Yong Liu had genuine doubts.
He wasn’t just agreeable – after seeing Pengcheng, he had his ideas.
Though unexpected, Xiao Lan was pleased by Yong Liu’s questioning.
“A small courtyard in Shangdu would cost twenty to thirty thousand, but Shangdu and Beijing are different. Uncle, you saw in Pengcheng how Tian Quan Liu of Tianchen wanted to develop real estate in the Special Zone, and he succeeded. I think there will be more freely tradeable ‘commercial housing’ in the future. If they eventually remove rural hukou restrictions, or if buying a house could convert to urban hukou, where do you think people nationwide will want to live?”
Where would people go then?
Villagers to counties, county folk to cities, provincial city dwellers to bigger cities.
Maybe even mainland people would move to Hong Kong!
Tian Quan Liu often told Yong Liu about Hong Kong’s prosperity, which fascinated him.
Though impossible now, given the chance, he’d certainly move somewhere better – suddenly enlightened, Yong Liu realized Xiao Lan was pulling him toward better places, just as he’d moved from village to provincial capital!
If they could live in the provincial capital, why not the capital?
Once he understood, his voice grew hoarse: “We could buy a house in the capital?”
Yong Liu always remembered his rural hukou.
Different household registrations seemed to create rigid class distinctions!
Even wealthy private businesspeople lacked status. Until this social mindset changed, Yong Liu couldn’t completely ignore his hukou status. Though he’d made money, he’d never considered buying in Beijing. From Xiao Lan’s words, it seemed money could buy a capital house – would buying a house means settling in the capital?
Money alone couldn’t guarantee buying in the capital – you needed the right connections.
Xiao Lan had borrowed Manager Wu’s influence, which was only possible due to the special circumstances of “government bonds.” Everything had to align perfectly. Without connections and networks, Beijing’s courtyards weren’t simply available for choosing.
Xiao Lan glossed over these complexities, simply assuring Yong Liu that if he provided the money, the purchase was almost certain.
Understanding this, Yong Liu didn’t hesitate and agreed to raise the funds.
After hanging up, he realized he hadn’t consulted Feng Mei.
Yong Liu smiled to himself – he was planning to settle in Beijing! Buying the house first would surely shock his Feng Mei!
While Yong Liu kept his “surprise,” after viewing the houses, Xiao Lan left both owners waiting. She planned to negotiate prices for both properties. With Xi Liang Chen awaiting her response, she naturally needed to discuss a potential partnership with Cheng Zhou at his workplace.
She prepared to cycle to Zhou’s workplace.
From Huaqing, it would take about two hours.
But just outside the school gate, she met Jiang Yuan Ji.
Between daily hospital visits and house hunting, Xiao Lan hadn’t seen Jiang Yuan Ji for days. Being in different departments, they rarely met in classes. Hong En Tang will be discharged tomorrow, and coincidentally she met Jiang Yuan Ji today.
Jiang Yuan Ji also found it coincidental.
“Xia Xiao Lan, you’ve been busy lately? I’ve been looking for you for two days. Wait here, I have something for you.”
Jiang Yuan Ji asked Xiao Lan to wait at the gate while he cycled back to his dorm, quickly returning with a bag.
“For you. Try it and see if you like it.”
Jiang Yuan Ji was returning a favor – Xiao Lan had given him many dried shrimp, so he brought her some foreign snacks, chocolates, and other candies.
“This is too expensive, isn’t it?”
Foreign chocolate was still precious then – not about affordability but availability. Xiao Lan wouldn’t normally go out of her way to buy it, but she was happy to receive it – she didn’t like sweets, but Cheng Zhou did, perfect to bring along with the dried shrimp!
Jiang Yuan Ji wanted to laugh – she called it expensive yet casually tossed it in her bicycle basket.
This attitude made him comfortable – it was just a small matter, so why make it awkward with too much ceremony?
As they chatted at the gate with Jiang Yuan Ji giving Xiao Lan things, this scene, viewed from across the street by Jian Hua Wang, was incredibly provocative – he’d come to Huaqing seeking Xiao Lan, wanting to discuss ending these pointless actions. He needed to be responsible to Zi Yu now, a relationship with Xiao Lan was impossible.
But just off the bus, Jian Hua Wang was nearly killed by the scene before him.
Men’s thoughts are strange – even though he’d rejected Xiao Lan first, when she’d been desperate for him, barely a year later seeing her smile at another man felt like betrayal –
He strode over, as angry as a husband catching his wife’s infidelity.
“Xia Xiao Lan, I never thought you’d have so little self-respect!”
Jiang Yuan Ji was completely confused, while Xiao Lan maintained an expected calmness.
Yesterday Chang Zheng, today another mad dog was bound to appear – surprisingly not Xia Zi Yu, but Jian Hua Wang taking the lead!
Self-respect?
Xiao Lan had some choice words she wasn’t sure whether to say. Beijing Normal College? Jian Hua Wang and Xia Zi Yu had gotten into Beijing Drama Academy – could these drama queens add less drama to their scenes!