novelraw Chapter 459 - 457: Disguised
Chapter 459 - 457: Disguised
After a short while, Da Ming playfully tapped Little Star’s face, marking their familiarity. With two children at home, there was much more laughter and cheer.Taking advantage of having more people to watch over the kids, Tan Aixiang rode his bike out to buy two pounds of meat and some seasonal vegetables, and also invited Uncle Jin and Aunt Jin from next door.
In the evening, they prepared seven or eight dishes, waiting for Shen Boxu to return. Han Yi even had a few drinks.
Everyone was happy to know Han Yi had been recommended to a military academy.
"Study well at school, Xiao Wan is at home, we have everything covered, you don’t need to worry," Aunt Jin sincerely rejoiced for him.
If her son were still here, he might have been as successful.
Ah, life is often full of unsatisfactory things.
Lin Wan saw the trace of sadness on Aunt Jin’s face and realized she was thinking about her own child.
In her previous life, she didn’t know what ultimately happened to Aunt Jin and Uncle Jin. In this life, she was determined not to let the elderly couple be lonely and helpless.
"Aunt Jin, I’m fine here, please don’t run back and forth in the heat, I’ll bring Little Star to see you when the weather cools."
"Hey... What’s there to run about for... Business hasn’t been great lately with the heat, Uncle Jin hasn’t been going much to set up his stall either."
"If the weather’s too hot, then don’t go."
"We’re being careful."
Shen Boxu had been feeling down lately, but seeing Han Yi today brightened his mood, and he drank quite a lot.
Tan Aixiang noticed it and said a couple of words to him, snatching the bottle of wine back from his hands.
"I’m just happy to see Xiao Yi." Shen Boxu hugged the bottle tightly, dissatisfied.
Grandma, sitting nearby, gently soothed her grandson-in-law, smiling, "Let him drink, he’s been troubled enough with Rongrong’s matters lately, it’s a good chance for him to vent today."
Since Grandma had spoken, Tan Aixiang couldn’t argue back, but advised Shen Boxu to drink less.
"What’s wrong with Rongrong?" Lin Wan asked curiously.
"It’s all about money, isn’t it?" At the mention of Shen Rong, Tan Aixiang was filled with anger.
The grandma also sighed, and since Uncle Jin and Aunt Jin lived nearby, they knew some of what had been happening. Lately, Shen Rong and her spouse frequently visited.
"Li Chang and Rongrong’s factory are allocating housing. Both of them are relatively junior, so they likely didn’t qualify, but his father-in-law is a workshop director and has worked in the factory for over a decade. With many children in the family, they meet the criteria for housing allocation. It’s not a big apartment, two bedrooms and one living room, but Rongrong’s in-laws have three sons and one daughter. Now the whole family lives in a crowded compound. His father-in-law intends to give this apartment to the eldest. The eldest already has two kids, and the four of them are squeezed into one room now. When the eldest moves out, the vacated room is just right for the second child’s family. Li Chang is the third, he just got married, and the young couple aren’t in a rush. They plan to wait a few years until their service time is enough, then try to get a housing unit from the factory... This idea of the father-in-law is pretty fair, considering everything without bias or favoritism."
"Indeed, housing conditions are quite tough these days. Although a lot of apartments have been built across various factories, it’s still not nearly enough," Uncle Jin said, though he didn’t work at a factory, he was somewhat informed. "Most families are like this now. Parents aren’t inconsiderate, they’re just asking the young couple to wait a few years."
"Rongrong isn’t happy?" Lin Wan’s first reaction was this.
"Exactly, Rongrong is carefree and didn’t mind much, but Li Chang, after discussing it with Rongrong at night, feels they’re being treated unfairly. Li Chang himself is embarrassed to talk to his parents, so he instigated Rongrong to go back and complain to your uncle and aunt. She even wanted to drag your uncle and brother to argue with her in-laws." Tan Aixiang curled her lips, "Luckily, your uncle is sensible and didn’t let her cause trouble. But the couple wasn’t willing to give up and shamelessly talked to their in-laws. Rongrong’s father-in-law didn’t say anything, but Li’s second brother didn’t want to lose the new house either. Naturally, the eldest didn’t want to give it up, so now... both sons started arguing. Finally, Li’s father-in-law couldn’t take it anymore and strongly declared that whoever wanted the new house should pay 3,000 yuan to buy something at the base for the other son; the remaining compound rooms would be for the other son. It’s fair to everyone – those who have the money buy the new house, and those who don’t live in the original place. Let them decide among themselves, whoever comes up with 3,000 yuan first gets the new house, and the remaining two families draw lots to decide between the new house and the compound. The couple just started working not long ago, and don’t have much savings. They’ve already persuaded your aunt to give all the money she saved over the years, but there’s still more than a thousand missing, so they thought of Grandma. Grandma, at her age, isn’t working, what money does she have? Lastly, they tried to borrow from your brother... I’m not working now, and can’t earn much money selling soaps occasionally. Aren’t we relying on your brother for everything at home? Where do we have money to lend them... but they just won’t let go, convinced we have money, and have come over multiple times."
Tan Aixiang spoke more and more upset. Even if they had money, she wouldn’t want to lend it to them. Rongrong often spoke out of line, and her character wasn’t great, but after all, she was her sister-in-law. Meanwhile, Li Chang appeared very cunning.
If she really lent them the money, it might just be wasted.
"Who knows what the couple is thinking, their parents have planned well for them, having a house a few years later isn’t bad at all. Look at the city’s development these past two years, it’s been improving. After a few years, who knows, houses might be even better than now. They don’t appreciate the blessings they have. Spending money on it now, what’s the point!" Aunt Jin didn’t agree with the couple’s choices. Being obsessed with immediate and tiny benefits could never lead to great success.
"If they understood, they wouldn’t be asking family to lend them money." Grandma, though angry, didn’t dare to speak too loudly, for fear of alarming the two children nearby.
"Well... thankfully, this matter has passed. Yesterday, Rongrong came back and complained to us, saying Li Chang’s second brother got the money ahead and moved in." Shen Boxu wasn’t very close with his sister, having been her brother for so many years, he certainly understood Shen Rong. He didn’t like this sister... and took another sip of his drink.
"So how is Rongrong now?"
"They intend to use the 3,000 yuan to buy the new house," Tan Aixiang said.
"Sure, 3,000 yuan is more than enough to buy a house, but it’s not enough to build it, is it?" Uncle Jin estimated.
"Didn’t my mother-in-law give them a thousand yuan?"
Talking about that thousand yuan, Tan Aixiang felt deeply wronged.
That money was meant for her husband’s future, but now her mother-in-law gave it all to their daughter. Setting aside whether they would repay it or not, her in-laws’ quickness in giving money to their daughter was unsettling.
Usually, when her mother-in-law gave money to her, it was never as fast as with the sister-in-law.
In Lin Wan’s view, although Li’s second son got the new house and appeared to have benefited, the fact was they lost out.
In another ten years or so, the compound houses would definitely be demolished. By then, those living in the compound would earn several housing units.
Shen Rong and Li Chang weren’t completely clueless, and at least they got a house. If the location is well chosen, in ten years, its value would increase tenfold.
On the contrary, Li’s second son’s apartment building likely wouldn’t be demolished soon, at least for another twenty years. Relative to current conditions, it is the compound and house that increase in value faster. Sensible people know which benefits and which doesn’t.
Li’s old couple, needless to say, actually the second method relieved them of much burden, it was well thought out from the start.
At least the Li family now had an extra property, and the three son’s houses were all settled. The old couple would be relieved a lot in the future, no matter who lived in them. They would be the beneficiaries.
One must admit, wisdom comes with age.
Actually, Shen Rong should be grateful to her brother and sister-in-law for not lending them money.
It’s not their family’s problem, why bother with it. This issue isn’t their concern either.
After dinner, they took Little Star home.
Arriving at the military academy doesn’t mean Han Yi could start directly; he had to take a standardized test. Even with recommendations from the military, if the grades were too poor, he couldn’t get in.
Besides academic subjects, there were also military aspects to be tested.
Lin Wan was initially worried for him, but seeing Han Yi so relaxed these past few days eased her worries.