Chapter 201 Looking at the House

She tilted her head back and drank the tea all at once.

And so, a new life began.

Shen Xiuye ​​and Shen Zhongshun had no idea what "using tea instead of wine" meant.

They both grew up in the countryside.

I don't usually pay much attention to what I eat; I just pick up my bowl and start shoveling rice into my mouth.

Who knew city people had so many rules?

Even her mother, Zheng Mingyue, picked up her cup and took a sip.

They didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a normal opening ceremony, so they quickly picked up their teacups and gulped them down.

Zheng Mingyue was about to reach out to stop her, but before she could even open her mouth, she managed to utter a single word: "No."

But it was too late.

She watched helplessly as the two children gulped down a full cup of tea, her face stiffening slightly.

Well, that's it. I haven't even had a bite to eat, but my stomach is already half full of water.

Shen Zhongshun, in particular, has a small stomach, and this sudden drinking made his cheeks swell up.

I sat in the chair, afraid to move, lest I start hiccuping.

Sure enough, before Shen Zhongshun could even sit down properly after finishing his drink, his stomach bulged, and he couldn't help but let out a loud burp.

Even the usually composed Shen Cuifen couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh out loud.

Song Lei laughed so hard his shoulders shook, and he almost slipped off his chair.

"Alright, alright, let's eat!"

Zheng Mingyue laughed and scolded as she waved her hand to dispel the awkward yet lively atmosphere.

She glanced sideways at Song Lei, the instigator, and muttered to herself.

If you're going to thank someone, just say so. Why make it sound like a wedding ceremony with a bowl in hand?

Now that's great, everyone's full, why bother eating?

The food had barely been served when I was already stuffed.

Song Lei scratched the back of his head, looking honest and simple, with the tips of his ears turning a little red.

"Oh dear, my brain is really not working properly. I was so focused on expressing my gratitude and letting them know that I was truly thanking them that I forgot about the important thing about having a meal."

He genuinely wanted to toast everyone, but felt that simply saying thank you was too superficial and needed to be sincere.

However, he had just undergone surgery, and the doctor repeatedly warned him not to drink a drop of alcohol for six months.

Since Shen Cuifen was a girl, he couldn't very well ask her to drink with him.

You can't exactly make that young girl drink baijiu with you, can you?

What a mess that would be!

Just as he was worrying, a brilliant idea suddenly struck him.

If we can't drink alcohol, then let's use tea instead; as long as the gesture is there, it's fine.

To create a sense of formality and make the meal seem more solemn.

Unexpectedly, his sense of formality was too genuine.

Even honest people like Shen Xiuye ​​and Shen Zhongshun believed it and toasted without saying a word.

Well, that's good; the sentiment has been expressed effectively.

But the rhythm of the dinner party was completely disrupted.

He chuckled, scratching his head somewhat embarrassed.

"Eat! Eat quickly! The food's getting cold!"

As he spoke, he quickly picked up his chopsticks, took a large piece of braised pork, and put it into Shen Zhongshun's bowl.

The group then sat down again, and the atmosphere became lively once more.

Chopsticks flew, people picked up food and offered it to each other, creating a lively scene.

While eating her rice, Shen Cuifen spoke casually, as if chatting in passing.

"Sister Mingyue, that apartment across from yours seems to have been vacant lately. Do you know what price it's selling for?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Mingyue's hand, which was picking up a piece of green vegetable with her chopsticks, suddenly froze in mid-air.

She paused for a moment, then realized what she meant and smiled.

"Oh? You're interested? Thinking about buying a house?"

Shen Cuifen nodded gently, her expression calm.

"Yes, I've had that thought. But it's just a thought, I'm afraid the price will be too high and I won't be able to afford it. If it's really too expensive, then forget it, I'm just asking casually to get an idea of ​​the price."

She now has almost three hundred yuan left after deducting the cost of Shen Zhongshun's subsequent medication.

This amount of money isn't even enough to buy a house outright, let alone make a decent deposit.

But she knew that asking about prices wasn't illegal, and it wouldn't hurt to get more information.

In case the opportunity really comes someday, I'll have some confidence.

I remember that house from my past life was always vacant.

The owner lives abroad year-round, and the house has been entrusted to relatives for care, but it has never been sold.

Later, she went abroad with her family and never paid attention to the building again.

Now that I've been reborn, I hear that the company is currently looking for a buyer.

She then had an idea; even if she couldn't afford it, she wanted to get a feel for the market first.

"That works!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Mingyue immediately made the decision, decisively and efficiently.

"After we finish eating, I'll take you to knock on doors and ask around! I'll know everything about the apartment: how many bedrooms and living rooms, whether it faces south or north, whether the windows let in sunlight, and whether there are parking spaces downstairs! If you're interested, I'll help you negotiate the price and get you the lowest possible price, not a penny less!"

Zheng Mingyue became more and more excited as she spoke, her eyes lighting up.

The thought of Shen Cuifen actually buying a house across the street made her anxious.

Then the two of them would become proper neighbors.

One is on this side of the road, and the other is on the other. They can bump into each other while buying groceries or chat while hanging out laundry. How close they must be!

The thought of being neighbors with my best friend in the future, seeing each other every day, and having easy time talking and doing things together makes me very happy.

She felt an itch in her heart, like being gently scratched by a cat's paw, and wished she could put down her chopsticks right now, grab Shen Cuifen, and go knock on the door to ask about the price.

"Sure!"

Shen Cuifen smiled, put down her chopsticks, and nodded readily.

"Let's go now! We've almost finished eating, so it'll be easier to find out the details sooner rather than later."

As soon as she finished eating, Shen Xiuye ​​quickly cleared away the dishes.

Put the greasy dishes into the sink and rinse them under the tap.

Seeing this, Song Xiaomei quickly rolled up her sleeves and quietly started wiping the table with a rag.

Clean up the residue and wipe the grease off the corner of the table.

Without saying a word, Zheng Mingyue grabbed Shen Cuifen's arm.

"Let's go check out the door across the street."

After saying that, he pulled her towards the door.

I just walked up to the house diagonally across the street.

Zheng Mingyue raised her hand and knocked on the wooden door twice, neither too hard nor too softly.

With a creak, the door was slowly pushed open from the inside.

"Bright moon?"

A woman, about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, stood behind the door.

Her hair was permed into neat little curls and hung down her shoulders.

She wore bright red lipstick, her eyebrows were carefully drawn, and she had applied a thin layer of powder to her face.

When Zheng Mingyue saw her open the door, a smile immediately spread across her face, and she nodded with a beaming smile.

"Cuifen, it's me. My sister would like to see your house. Is it convenient for her to come in and take a look? Just a casual look, it won't be a problem."

Upon hearing this, Cuifen frowned almost imperceptibly.

His gaze then fell on Shen Cuifen, and he looked her up and down from head to toe.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on the old cloth shoes on Shen Cuifen's feet.

The shoe upper has been worn away and lost its color, and some of the edges are even coming undone.

Does someone dressed like that really want to look at houses?

I doubt they can even understand a property deed.

She couldn't help but scoff inwardly and secretly curl her lip.

But ultimately, out of consideration for Zheng Mingyue's past relationships, they agreed.

After hesitating for a moment, I stepped aside to make way for him.

"Come in, don't stand at the door and talk."

Shen Cuifen stood at the door, her expression calm.

She didn't care about Cuifen's slightly scrutinizing gaze, nor did she care what others thought.