During dinner that evening, Xia Qingqing casually mentioned that there were apartments for sale near Qinwen Lake.

"What? A house selling for 30,000 yuan? What does this house even look like? It must be made of gold, right?" Zhang Hongyan's expression was indescribable.

She always felt that her family, while not exactly rich, wasn't poor either; at least they were ahead of most ordinary families.

She underestimated how rich those people were; the three thousand yuan she had was enough to buy a toilet from them.

I don't know what rich people are thinking. Living in a big courtyard is so comfortable. You can grow vegetables and flowers, cool off at the entrance of the courtyard in the summer, and sunbathe in the courtyard in the winter.

Living in an apartment building means not only climbing up and down stairs every day, but if you speak loudly at home, your neighbors might hear you.

Xia Heping shook his head upon hearing this: "Spending so much money to buy a small house is just a pure waste of money. It would be difficult for a whole family to live there."

“Rich people don’t care about this little bit of money. They think that living in an apartment building is prestigious, and living high up allows them to look down on everyone else,” Xia Qingqing said with a hint of teasing.

Unlike later generations when skyscrapers were everywhere and people were fascinated by apartment buildings, nowadays, buildings with elevators are even more remarkable, and many people are choosing to sell their old houses and buy apartments with elevators.

"Sis, what kind of building are you talking about? Is it really tall, even taller than a department store?" Gou Dan's big eyes were full of curiosity.

Xia Qingqing shook her head: "I don't know exactly what it looks like, I've never seen it before. How about I take you to see it next time I have time?"

Dog Egg nodded happily: "Okay, okay, I want to go see it."

“You’re the most curious one. What’s the point of you going to see it? You can’t afford it anyway,” Zhang Hongyan said, trying to dampen her son’s enthusiasm.

Dog Egg stubbornly retorted, "I'm still young. When I grow up, I'll be able to afford it. Then I'll buy an apartment and bring you, Dad, and Sister to live with us."

He spoke with great confidence, showing no doubt that he would be able to afford a house when he grew up. After all, his sister was so capable, so he, as her younger brother, certainly wouldn't be too far behind.

Zhang Hongyan was amused by her son's words, but this time she didn't discourage him. Instead, she encouraged him, saying, "Then work hard and earn money to buy a house when you grow up."

"But your dad and I don't like living in apartment buildings. That tiny place is nowhere near as comfortable as this big courtyard."

“Yes, Mom and Dad will definitely be living with me from now on, so Gou Dan, you'll have to live in an apartment building by yourself,” Xia Qingqing said with a smile, deliberately trying to tease Gou Dan and see his reaction.

Upon hearing this, Gou Dan immediately became agitated: "I don't want to live alone in an apartment building, I want to live with you all too."

"Sister! Aren't I your dearest brother?"

Xia Qingqing smiled mischievously and teased him, "Although I also want to live with you, you'll get married eventually. Have you ever seen a man who still lives with his sister after getting married?"

Dog Egg's mouth twitched and his eyes immediately filled with tears. He said in a pitiful voice, "I've already said I won't get married. You can't abandon me, or I'll cry for you."

For him, being separated from his family was the most terrifying thing in the world. He couldn't imagine life without his parents and sister; just thinking about it was painful enough.

Xia Qingqing didn't expect him to react so strongly. If this really causes psychological trauma to the child, and he doesn't want to get married in the future, that would be terrible.

She immediately coaxed him gently, "I was just joking with you. How could I possibly abandon you? I would never abandon you."

"Don't joke with me like that anymore, or I'll take it seriously," Gou Dan said proudly, wiping away his tears.

Zhang Hong originally wanted to say something, but seeing how pitiful Gou Dan was, she ultimately chose to keep quiet.

To be honest, if she had to choose between her daughter and son when she got old, she would definitely choose her daughter. No matter how close a daughter-in-law is, she can't be as close as her daughter.

That's what she was thinking, but she still didn't dare say it in front of Gou Dan, otherwise he was afraid he would burst into tears at any moment.

"Okay, I won't joke with you like that anymore," Xia Qingqing solemnly promised.

Dog Egg finally smiled with satisfaction, and then took the opportunity to pester Xia Qingqing to take him to see the newly built commercial housing in Qinwen Lake.

If she usually makes her younger brother angry, Xia Qingqing will be willing to fulfill his requests as long as they are not too unreasonable. She promised to take him to see it after school tomorrow.

Watching the interaction between the siblings, Xia Heping chuckled and said to Gou Dan, "Look how good your sister is to you. No wonder you want to live with her all the time."

"She's my own sister, and I'm her only brother. If she's not good to me, who will she be good to?" Gou Dan proudly shook his head.

......

The next day, on his way to school, Gou Dan shared the story with Tian Hongjun as gossip.

Finally, he asked with a smile, "My sister said she'd take me to see it after school. Are you going, Red Army? I'll ask my sister to take you with me."

Tian Hongjun didn't answer Gou Dan. He silently calculated in his mind how many years his parents would have to work to buy the apartment Gou Dan mentioned. The final result was that his family would have to save for 30 years without eating or drinking to afford such a house.

"Hongjun, what are you thinking about? You're ignoring me when I talk to you," Gou Dan gently nudged Tian Hongjun's arm.

"Ah, I'm calculating how many years my parents would have to work to afford an apartment," Tian Hongjun said, telling Gou Dan the result he had calculated.

Dog Egg was so shocked he almost couldn't close his mouth: "Two people working for 30 years to afford a house? Then one person would have to work for 60 years, no, people can't go without eating or drinking, so wouldn't it take 100 years to afford a house?"

He suddenly felt a little awkward and touched his nose, thinking about how presumptuous he had been in saying those words yesterday. He had actually thought about buying an apartment for his parents and sister when he grew up, and he didn't know if he would be able to afford it in his lifetime.

"Why are you taking this so seriously? I was just doing some random calculations for fun. Those houses are for rich people, they have nothing to do with us," Tian Hongjun said nonchalantly.

When a goal is a million miles away, you don't even have the desire to strive for it.

Dog Egg kicked away a small pebble at his feet in frustration, admitting that he was feeling discouraged.

Fortunately, he has always been easygoing, and he quickly recovered: "Even if we don't buy a house, we can still go and take a look. It doesn't cost anything to just look."

“Okay, let’s go see it together after school. I also want to see what a 30,000 yuan apartment looks like. I’ll tell my parents about it when I get back tonight,” Tian Hongjun said with a grin.