"You two lovebirds chat slowly. This old man is off to the post office to remit some money," the elder said, moistening fifty one-hundred-yuan bills with a finger and saliva, then counting them with a soft flick.
Chen Yang's scalp tingled. People back then loved to lick their fingers when counting money, not minding the dirt. He, for one, couldn't stand it.
"Take your time, Grandpa."
He held the key in his hand. The lock looked like an antique. Unfortunately, it was rusty, and Chen Yang, not being an expert, couldn't tell its age.
After the elder left, Shen Xue, with lightning speed, stole a kiss on the old man's cheek and then quickly pulled away.
The old man's heart warmed.
Had his blockhead of a wife finally opened up? She dared to kiss him in public.
"Don't speak."
"You behaved well today, so consider this a reward."
Shen Xue's face was flushed red. For someone as shy as her, it had been quite difficult to initiate a kiss with Chen Yang in public.
Looking at Shen Xue, whose face was so red it seemed she could bleed, Chen Yang couldn't help but feel amused.
Since his wife had been brave enough for once, he wouldn't tease her. If he angered her now, it would be hard to get her to be so bold again.
He circled the entire courtyard, looking it over carefully. The more Chen Yang looked, the more he liked it.
With a little cleaning, this place would be ready to live in. Chen Yang and Shen Xue wouldn't be staying in Jinling long-term anyway. This place was not far from Jinling University and the Education Bureau. They could let his elder sister and brother-in-law move in first.
When property policies relaxed in a few years, he could even suggest his elder sister and brother-in-law buy a place themselves. With their salaries, their financial situation would surely improve in a few years.
It was better to live in a house he bought with his own money for peace of mind. Even if Chen Yang bought it, his sister and brother-in-law wouldn't feel comfortable living there. It was better to let them save up enough money to buy it themselves.
Buying a courtyard like this nowadays would definitely appreciate tenfold or a hundredfold in the future.
"Later, let's call Mom, Dad, sister, and brother-in-law to come take a look and help with the cleaning."
"This house probably hasn't been lived in for a long time. We need to air it out, and these furniture pieces will need to be replaced."
Chen Yang glanced at the wooden furniture inside, all covered in a thick layer of dust. He wasn't knowledgeable enough to tell what kind of wood it was. He'd have his dad take a look later.
If it was good wood, they'd salvage what they could. If it wasn't, it would just be in the way. Anything useless could be chopped up for firewood.
"Okay. Coincidentally, Elder Sister and Brother-in-law haven't been assigned housing yet. We can let them stay here since it would otherwise be empty. This house needs people to live in it to be properly maintained."
Before Chen Yang could speak, Shen Xue brought this up.
Looking at his thoughtful and considerate wife, Chen Yang felt a surge of contentment.
"Whatever you say."
If it weren't for the two little ones getting in the way, he would definitely have given his wife a loving embrace.
Closing and locking the courtyard gate, Chen Yang leisurely took his wife and children home.
They had come out for an excursion and bought such a courtyard for five hundred yuan. It was a huge bargain. In the future, one wouldn't be able to get such a large courtyard for less than tens of millions.
When Chen Yang returned home, his parents were already back from work, and his aunt and uncle were also home.
His older cousin, Zhang Zhugen, looked unhappy. Sensing an odd atmosphere, Chen Yang went over to ask his cousin, Zhang Hongmei.
"Sister Hongmei, what's wrong? Was the replacement matter not arranged well?"
The educated youths hadn't started returning to the city on a large scale yet. Logically, replacing a temporary worker with a formal employee shouldn't be a big problem. Chen Yang was a bit puzzled.
"Yangyang, Uncle and Aunt have already handled the paperwork for the replacement. We just need to follow Uncle and Aunt to the factory to practice. Once we're skilled, we can officially take over the position."
"After officially taking over, we'll start getting paid."
Zhang Hongmei was very excited. For a rural girl, securing a job in a state-owned factory, even a temporary one, was an incredibly fortunate thing.
"Then why is Zhugen cousin so upset?"
Chen Yang glanced at Zhang Zhugen. Zhang Hongmei sighed.
"What else could it be? It's because of that woman."
"My foolish elder brother, right after leaving the factory with Uncle, rushed to the cotton mill to tell that Liu Ting that his job was secured. Coincidentally, he saw her leaving work with another man."
"He still stubbornly went up to her, and then he was beaten up. Look, his face is still swollen."
"If Aunt and Uncle hadn't stopped him just now, my father would have beaten him."
Zhang Hongmei was somewhat helpless. She didn't understand why her elder brother acted like an idiot when it came to that woman.
Anyone could see that the woman couldn't possibly like him. He had seen her getting intimate with another man, yet he still wouldn't give up. Why bother?
If Liu Ting truly had feelings for him, how could she be seen flirting with another man?
Chen Yang pouted. Historically, simps never met a good end. On this matter, he sided with his uncle.
If there was mutual affection, it was called deep devotion. If one side was willing and the other unwilling, no amount of simping would help. If the other person found someone better, they'd still kick you to the curb.
"If you have anything to do with that Liu Ting again, I'll break your legs."
His uncle was clearly still angry. Hearing his words, Zhang Zhugen gritted his teeth.
He couldn't understand why Liu Ting liked that man who was so ugly.
Liu Ting had told him that as long as he had a job, she would persuade her parents to accept him.
But why, now that he had a job, was she going back on her word? She also wanted him to get an apartment in the city and save enough for the "three turns and one whistle."
He was just a temporary worker, and he wasn't eligible for an apartment allocation. Moreover, he wasn't married, so it wasn't his turn to get an apartment.
"Uncle, please calm down."
"This is something Zhugen cousin has to figure out for himself, to truly understand."
"After this beating, can't you see clearly? Did she stop when you were being beaten?"
"Or did she get into a fight with that man for you?"
"Does she have any sympathy for you at all? Or does she just see you as a clown she can summon and dismiss at will?"
Chen Yang turned. Each of his words was like a sharp knife, tearing through the fig leaf that Zhang Zhugen didn't want to rip open.
Yes, in Liu Ting's eyes, he was just dispensable.
To put it bluntly, she didn't have him in her heart at all.
It was just that in the past, Zhang Zhugen had been lost in his own fantasies, believing that as long as he had a job, Liu Ting would like him.
But now? This illusion had been shattered by his own hands.
"Cousin Zhugen, marriage is about building a life together. Love cannot be achieved through compromise."
"You should broaden your horizons. There's more than just Liu Ting in the world. I've said what I needed to say. Think it over carefully."
Glancing at the bruised and battered Zhang Zhugen, Chen Yang had said all he intended to. That Liu Ting was clearly a femme fatale, a woman like that, Chen Yang would steer far clear of.