Chapter 26: Buying a house seems like winning the lottery!

Gu Zhiyuan's words made the person who was questioning Li Yanmei turn around and look at him with disbelief: "Zhiyuan, is this how you think of me? I'm your brother, how could I possibly keep something like this from her?"

“I thought you had already done it before the wedding, so it wouldn’t hurt to do it a second time. Besides, my sister-in-law used this excuse to ask Fang Qing for money more than once.” Gu Zhiyuan still remembers Fang Qing’s mockery of him back then, saying that so what if he was the envy of everyone in the village? His family still betrayed him for petty gains.

These words rendered Gu Zhilian speechless. He looked up at Gu Zhiyuan, whose face was filled with indifference. Gu Zhiyuan looked at them as if they were strangers. At this moment, Gu Zhilian was puzzled. They were clearly the closest of brothers. Why did things come to this? They used to be the best of friends.

"You jinx! You knew about this and didn't tell us!" Chen Cuie was genuinely angry and slapped Li Yanmei across the face.

Chen Cuie slapped Li Yanmei with all her might. Li Yanmei tasted blood in her mouth. She looked up at the two people opposite her. Her husband's eyes held confusion and bewilderment, her mother-in-law's disgust. She couldn't help but sneer, "What are you all pretending for? When you went to the Fang family to propose marriage, didn't you ever consider the possibility of this happening? You didn't mind letting Fang Qing marry the second son back then, so who are you putting on this act for now?"

Yes, Gu Zhiyuan was also puzzled. They clearly knew Fang Qing's feelings for Tie Yanfei back then, but they still kept it from him and let them get married. Now, who are they trying to impress with this act?

"Shut up." After saying that, Chen Cuie quickly looked at Gu Zhiyuan and explained, "Second son, although Fang Qing had some entanglement with the Tie family boy back then, I knew they were innocent. Otherwise, I wouldn't have proposed marriage to you. I thought that once she married you and had children, she would definitely settle down."

“Yes, second brother, no matter what, we all want the best for you. If you hadn’t agreed to Fang Qing bringing the child to Wu’an, none of this would have happened.” Gu Zhilian said, then immediately regretted it. He didn’t mean to blame him.

"Are you going to force her to her death by not letting her move out with Chen An?" Gu Zhiyuan only found out later that Fang Qing was in a bad situation at home, so he didn't hold a grudge against her for what happened between her and Tie Yanfei. He only blamed himself, but she shouldn't have vented all of this on Chen An.

"Which daughter-in-law hasn't gone through this? Is she so precious that she can't endure any hardship?" Chen Cuie frowned at him, thinking that she had gone through the same thing back then.

"It's pointless to talk about this now, Mom. You've already ruined my first marriage. Are you planning to ruin my second one? Or do you and my brother want me to get divorced again so I can keep working for the family like a workhorse?" Gu Zhiyuan looked directly at Chen Cuie and asked his question.

"Is that what you think of me?" Chen Cuie staggered back a step, her eyes full of hurt.

“What I think is unimportant; the key is what you did. Ji Wei and I just got married, and you couldn’t wait to shove Da Bao over here, wanting others to help. But what gives you the right? He just married me; he didn’t sell himself to the Gu family. Do you think that just because he’s married, you can treat him however you want? Or are you just jealous that I’m doing well?” Gu Zhiyuan asked sincerely. He was genuinely puzzled. He believed that he had treated them well over the years and had never wronged them in any way, so why were they doing this?

"Okay, okay, okay, I understand. You just don't like us, right? We'll leave right away and won't get in your way." Chen Cuie said, patting her chest as if she was angry.

"Second brother, how dare you talk to Mom like that? Look how angry she is! Hurry up and apologize!" Gu Zhilian scolded, adopting the air of an elder brother.

"I was just asking my own question. I don't think I said anything wrong." Gu Zhiyuan didn't back down at all. The fig leaf covering up the family should have been torn off long ago. There was nothing to repair now. The peaceful and tranquil life after marrying Ji Wei was what he longed for, and he wouldn't allow them to destroy it again.

"Why talk to him about this? Go get your things, we're going back right away." Chen Cuie glared at Gu Zhiyuan resentfully, but her tactic of retreating to advance was completely ineffective here.

"Zhiyuan, are you really going to take this to the extreme? We really didn't know anything about Fang Qing and Tie Yanfei's affair. Your sister-in-law has always been ignorant. I'll make her apologize to you." Seeing his seriousness, Gu Zhilian tried to salvage the situation.

Gu Zhiyuan was somewhat disappointed. Even now, they still thought he was taking his anger out on them because of Fang Qing. A flash of mockery crossed his eyes: "No need. Her apology won't change anything, and I don't need her apology. That's it. I won't refuse to pay for my parents' retirement money each year, and I won't give them a penny more than I should." He had his own family to maintain and manage, and he wouldn't continue to be the family's workhorse.

"Fine, fine, you work for a state-owned enterprise now, so you look down on us country folk, right? You think we're a disgrace to you?" Chen Cuie was genuinely furious this time.

"Think what you want. Aren't you going back? Do you want me to take you to the station?" Gu Zhiyuan looked at Chen Cuie calmly. He had known since childhood that among the three brothers, she valued the eldest brother the most and cared for the youngest brother the most, while he was an insignificant figure.

Chen Cuie was so angry that her breathing became rapid. She slapped Gu Zhilian hard on the shoulder: "Aren't you going to get your things? Do you have to wait until he kicks us out before you feel comfortable?"

Seeing this, Gu Zhilian sighed and looked at Gu Zhiyuan with disappointment: "Second brother, you really disappoint me."

Li Yanmei didn't go upstairs to get her luggage. The taste of blood still lingered in her mouth. She carefully walked up to Gu Zhiyuan and asked, "Second brother, was what you said about extortion a lie?"

"I never lie. If you don't believe me, you can go to the police station to ask yourself." Of course, what Gu Zhiyuan didn't say was that only Fang Qing and she knew about this. No one could testify for Fang Qing, and Fang Qing probably couldn't produce any strong evidence either. So this matter would most likely be dropped, provided that Fang Qing reported it to the police.

Li Yanmei's face turned deathly pale: "Then can I return that money to Fang Qing? Second brother, I know you resent us, but Da Bao is innocent."

"Isn't it normal to pay the price for doing something wrong?" Gu Zhiyuan's eyes showed no sympathy.

"Alright, why are you telling him all that? That bitch did something shameless herself, do you think she dares to go to the police station?" Chen Cuie glared at Li Yanmei, what a coward.

At this moment, Gu Zhilian came down with their luggage, looking at Gu Zhiyuan with a somewhat complicated expression, hoping that he would ask them to stay. Unfortunately, they didn't hear his plea even as they reached the door. Thinking of this, he sighed. Oh well, in the end, they were the ones who wronged him. He turned to Li Yanmei, his tone reproachful: "Why didn't you tell us when you found out about this? If we had known earlier, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way?"

Li Yanmei lowered her eyes and remained silent. She hadn't expected Fang Qing to be so bold as to continue seeing Tie Yanfei even after she caught them together, even though Fang Qing had told her that they had broken up.

"Shut up, both of you! Keep this to yourselves. Don't mention it when you get back." Chen Cuie glared at the two of them. She knew that if this got back to the village, they would be completely disgraced, even if only Li Yanmei knew about it.

"What about Zhiyuan?" Gu Zhilian hesitated.

"Hasn't he made himself clear? If Ji Wei falls out of love with him because of us, he won't let us off the hook. As long as he's still willing to give money to the family, that's fine." Chen Cuie was afraid that if she angered him, he would completely abandon the family.

"Does that mean Da Bao can't come here to study?" Li Yanmei's tone was somewhat regretful. Although Wu'an is a town, its educational resources are much better than those in their rural area.

“If you’re really serious, go and establish yourselves outside this year, and bring Da Bao over next year. Ji Wei works and takes care of her child at the same time, right? If she can do it, why can’t you?” Chen Cuie was still a little upset, but Gu Zhiyuan was still her own son. She hadn’t thought things through when Fang Qing was involved, and they couldn’t continue to ruin his marriage now. They should at least wait until Ji Wei had given birth and everything was settled before making any decisions. Thinking of this, Chen Cuie breathed a sigh of relief. They had been too hasty.

Li Yanmei wanted to say something, but the pain on her face reminded her of what had just happened. She pursed her lips and ultimately said nothing.

＊

Watching them leave, Gu Zhiyuan didn't feel relieved. Tearing open his own wound wasn't easy. It was then that he realized working at his company was a double-edged sword. He looked down at the cast on his leg and began to seriously consider resigning.

The trio entering the city were completely unaffected; instead, they were seriously considering their breakfast. Gu Chen'an came up with a money-saving idea: "This time, let's not eat KFC. Let's have porridge and steamed buns instead."

Lulu's eyes lit up when she heard about KFC. Gu Chen'an gently pinched her cheek and explained to her softly, "KFC is too expensive. We just ate there last week."

Ji Wei was still a little sleepy and continued to doze off with her eyes closed. She wondered if Lulu could understand Chen An's theory of saving money. Thinking of this, a smile appeared on her face.

Their first stop after breakfast was the hospital. Having learned from their previous experience, they found the doctor's office with ease this time. After Gu Chen'an went in, Ji Wei turned to the little one beside her and asked, "Lulu, would you like to learn to dance?"

"Dancing?" Lulu nodded after she finished speaking. The little girl usually liked to jump and dance to the music on TV.

"Okay, then Mom will take you to the Children's Palace to register later." Lulu is learning to dance, and Chen An doesn't know what she will choose.

Compared to last week, Gu Chen'an was in a much better mood when he came out of the doctor's office this week. He jogged towards them and said, "Mom, Lulu."

"Brother, I'm going to learn to dance!" Lulu couldn't wait to share the good news with him.

"Want to learn to dance? Won't it be tiring?" Gu Chen'an asked, glancing at Lulu's height and thinking that his little sister seemed a bit too young.

"Not tired." Lulu was already full of energy even before she started learning.

"Chen An, what are you interested in?" Ji Wei asked.

"What?" Gu Chen'an was a little confused.

“I was thinking that since we come to the city every week, I might as well enroll you and Lulu in a class at the Children’s Palace. Lulu chose dancing. What do you want to learn?” Ji Wei asked gently.

Gu Chen'an was stunned for a moment before shaking his head: "I don't know." Yes, he didn't know what he liked.

"It's okay if you don't know. You can decide when you get to the Children's Palace."

"Can I have whatever I want?" Gu Chen'an remembered what the doctor had just said, and he told himself that he could bravely ask his parents for something.

“Of course, we’ll learn whatever you like,” Ji Wei nodded.

Ji Wei's affirmative answer made Gu Chen'an jump for joy. When they arrived at the Children's Palace, they didn't register Lulu first, but asked what classes were offered so they could see them in person. Gu Chen'an felt valued for the first time, and he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

After looking around, Ji Wei turned to Gu Chen'an and asked, "So, did you see anything you like?"

Gu Chen'an nodded: "Mom, I want to learn badminton, is that okay?"

"Of course." Ji Wei was a little surprised that he chose badminton, but she nodded in agreement. Then she looked at Lulu and asked, "Lulu, are you still choosing dancing?"

“Yes, dancing.” Lulu touched her skirt as she spoke.

"Okay, let's go register now and ask what we need to buy in advance." So Ji Wei took the two little ones around the Children's Palace again. The last things they needed to buy were badminton rackets and shuttlecocks, as well as Lulu's dance shoes. The teacher even thoughtfully told her that the simplest beginner-level badminton racket would be fine, and they could gradually upgrade later.

For those who learn badminton, badminton shuttlecocks are consumables. This is what Gu Chen'an heard the children say at the Children's Palace. He secretly made a decision in his heart that he would save all his pocket money to buy badminton shuttlecocks from now on.

"Classes don't start until next week, and it's still early. Shall we go back or continue exploring?" Ji Wei left the decision to the two little ones.

"Let's go back first, Dad's still at home." There was a hint of worry in Gu Chen'an's tone. He was sure that his grandmother and uncle wouldn't take care of his father.

“Chen An is right, then let’s go back first today.” Ji Wei wasn’t surprised that he was worried about Gu Zhiyuan. After all, the father and son had relied on each other for survival before. She was just wondering if the “guests” at home were still there.

Ji Wei had completely forgotten about buying lottery tickets, but when she arrived at the bus station, she saw a lottery station nearby and went over. The two little ones asked curiously, "Mommy, what's this?"

“This is a welfare undertaking,” Ji Wei explained with a smile.

"What is welfare work?" The two men didn't understand the term she used and continued to ask.

"My mom bought this, and part of the money inside will be donated to people in need," Ji Wei explained simply.

"Then I want to buy one too." Gu Chen'an had six more yuan of pocket money than last time.

"I want one too, I want one too." Although Lulu still didn't quite understand what she meant, she knew that since they all had one, she should have one too.

“You’re too young to buy now, but I can buy them for you.” Ji Wei said, asking for two more lottery tickets. Fearing they would fight over them, Ji Wei directly refused from the start and asked for the same set of numbers.

Ji Wei thought the lottery-buying was just a joke. When she got home, she saw Gu Zhiyuan in the yard. The two little ones immediately went up to him to show him the lottery tickets. Ji Wei glanced inside and asked, "Did they go back?"

"Yes, we're going back." Gu Zhiyuan nodded, his gaze falling on the lottery tickets in the two children's hands. He asked with a smile, "Why did you suddenly buy these?"

"People should still have dreams, what if they do?" Ji Wei rarely joked with him like that.

The man sitting in the chair was stunned. A dream? Did he even have such a thing anymore? But he didn't have much time to be lost in thought. Gu Chen'an started showing him his badminton racket again: "Dad, I'm going to have badminton lessons next week. Do you know how to play badminton?"

"I don't know how." Gu Zhiyuan shook his head; he really didn't know how to do it.

"It's okay, I'll come back and teach you after I finish my weekly lessons," Gu Chen'an said, patting the New Year's greeting as a promise.

"Let's talk about it after my leg heals. What about Lulu? What is she studying?" Gu Zhiyuan unconsciously softened his tone when talking to Lulu.

"Dance, Daddy, look how pretty my dance shoes are!" Lulu said, holding up her dance shoes. They were just white cloth shoes, with the buckle in the middle replaced by elastic.

"Beautiful." Gu Zhiyuan nodded in agreement.

"Then when I learn it, I'll come back and teach Dad too," Lulu said happily.

Gu Zhiyuan paused, meeting the little guy's expectant eyes, and couldn't bring himself to refuse. So he could only continue to stall, saying, "Let's talk about it after my leg is better."

"Okay, brother, let's go draw first." Lulu remembered that there was a drawing class at the Children's Palace today, but she still preferred dancing to drawing.

After the two little ones entered the main room, Ji Wei finally had a chance to speak: "Have you eaten?"

"Yes, I ate some noodles. What did the hospital say today?" Gu Zhiyuan asked with concern.

"The doctor said Chen An is in good condition." Ji Wei said, then glanced at him again. She was actually a little curious about how she had managed to persuade the three people to leave, since they didn't seem so easy to deal with.

"You want to know how I got them to leave?" Strangely enough, although the two hadn't known each other for very long, Gu Zhiyuan immediately understood the doubt in her eyes.

"It's okay if it's inconvenient to talk about it." Ji Wei admitted that she was actually just a little bit curious.

"There's nothing I can't say, it's just bringing up old grievances." Gu Zhiyuan's tone was tinged with sarcasm at the end.

Ji Wei was initially a little confused, but after seeing the bitter smile on his face, she suddenly remembered that when she broke ties with the Ji family, she had also brought up old grievances. For a moment, she felt a sense of empathy: "It's all in the past."

"Yes, it's all in the past." Gu Zhiyuan said, looking at Gu Chen'an over there. Yes, it's all in the past. If they hadn't suddenly appeared, he wouldn't have had to reopen his wounds and confront them again.

This was the first time Ji Wei had seen Gu Zhiyuan so downcast. She regretted her earlier outburst and quickly tried to smooth things over: "You've seen my family situation. When I was little, I always thought they weren't too sexist, since they were willing to let me continue my studies. But later, I slowly realized that I was never part of their plans. They might love me, but they love Ji Shengzhou more. They're willing to sacrifice me and Lulu for anything for Ji Shengzhou. I could tolerate that before, but my Lulu can't suffer with me."

When Ji Wei first spoke to someone about her disappointment with her family, she turned her head and saw Gu Zhiyuan looking thoughtful. So she smiled and said, "I thought you would be the one valued at home." Whether it was his time in the army or his current job, he should be the pride of the family.

Gu Zhiyuan spoke without emotion, "I guess I've always been the one they ignored since I was little. Even after I became the most successful one in the family, they still got used to ignoring me and taking from me. I used to be quite foolish. The more they ignored me, the more I wanted to prove myself to them, to prove that I was better than my eldest brother and third brother. But they seemed to hate my attempts to prove myself. At first, I didn't understand why they hated it. Later, I realized that if they acknowledged me, it would be admitting their past mistakes, which wasn't an easy thing for them. Moreover, they also found that the more I wanted to prove myself, the easier it was to manipulate me. Because they didn't value me, Fang Qing didn't have a good time at home at first."

Although he had planned to apply for her to come and live with him while he was away at the military base, she refused. At the time, Fang Qing's refusal made him believe that since she was the wife they had chosen, they wouldn't treat her badly, and that's why she rejected him. Later, when she suggested moving out, he realized he had overestimated them. He then suggested she come with him again, but was refused once more. It was then that he realized Fang Qing, or perhaps he himself, was dissatisfied with the marriage. Thinking of their little Chen'an, he tried desperately to salvage their precarious family, but ultimately, it still fell apart.

This was the first time Gu Zhiyuan had mentioned Fang Qing in front of Ji Wei. Remembering Chen An's fear and resistance towards Fang Qing, she couldn't help but ask, "So she vented all her dissatisfaction with your family on Chen An?"

"I only found out during the divorce that Fang Qing was unhappy when we got married. If I had talked to her properly back then, things might not have turned out this way." In this marriage, no one—himself, Fang Qing, or even Chen An—was a winner; they were all victims.

“You did nothing wrong, and Chen An is completely innocent. The one who’s wrong is Fang Qing. She couldn’t fight back against her family, so she used Chen An to vent her anger. Gu Zhiyuan, you did nothing wrong.” Ji Wei said, reaching out to hold his hands. This was the first time she had seen him so helpless. She knew it was his guilt towards Chen An.

Ji Wei thought it was strange that someone who looked so cold had such warm hands. His hands were even bigger than she had imagined. When the calluses on his thumbs brushed against the back of her hand, she realized what she had done. When she looked up, she immediately saw his ears, which were so red they were almost bleeding. In an instant, the tension in her heart disappeared in a strange way.

This was the first time someone had told him with such certainty that he was right. Gu Zhiyuan was somewhat dazed. Ever since discovering Chen An's situation, he had been trapped in a vicious cycle of self-blame. But at this moment, Ji Wei strangely pulled him out of that cycle. The hands that held him were so warm. For the first time, Gu Zhiyuan craved that warmth, and he unconsciously wanted to hold her hands back.

Their hands were clasped together, and the air around them seemed to thin out, until Gu Chen'an's aggrieved voice came: "Dad, the little frog in my room is gone."

Ji Wei quickly withdrew her hand. She had actually tried to pry his hand open to see the calluses on it, but fortunately Chen An arrived in time.

"Are you sure it's gone, or that you just misplaced it?" Gu Zhiyuan asked him to confirm.

"I'm sure, I saw it yesterday." Gu Chen'an was a little sad; this was the first toy his father had given him since he came back.

"I guess your uncle and his family took it. Dad will buy you another one." Gu Zhiyuan didn't expect that they would take Chen'an's toy when they left.

"Why are they still so annoying?" Gu Chen'an muttered to himself.

"I'm sorry, it was my fault this time. This won't happen again," Gu Zhiyuan assured him.

“This has nothing to do with Dad, it’s my uncles who are annoying.” Gu Chen’an shook his head, indicating that he didn’t blame him.

Ji Wei had calmed down, and she looked at her two little ones like, "Have you prepared everything for school tomorrow?"

"I've finished all my homework, Mom," Gu Chen'an said quickly.

"It's good that you've finished writing. Oh, right, I'm going upstairs to get my dirty clothes." They interrupted my plan to do laundry yesterday, and I haven't washed them yet.

"Should we change the sheets on the bed?" Ji Wei looked at Gu Zhiyuan. After spending time together, she realized that he was a bit of a germaphobe. Now that someone he disliked had slept on the bed, he definitely wanted to change the sheets.

"I need to wash. I won't sleep in the ones they slept in. Mom, please change my clothes to be clean. I'll sleep alone tonight. Will Dad sleep with you guys?" After saying that, he looked at Lulu and said, "Lulu, your brother is sleeping alone now, so you should sleep by yourself too."

"No, I want to sleep with Mommy." Lulu shook her head.

"Only cowards sleep with their mothers all the time." Gu Chen'an couldn't think of a good solution for the moment, so he could only resort to reverse psychology.

"Lulu is a coward." No one expected Lulu to openly admit that she was a coward.

Lulu's words amused the three of them, but in the end, Gu Chen'an tapped her forehead and said, "You little idiot."

"Brother, you big idiot." Lulu is very good at applying what she's learned to other situations.

"Fine, I'm not talking to you anymore. Mom, let's go upstairs and change the sheets. I'm a brave big boy now," Gu Chen'an said, his face full of expectation for praise. Ji Wei thought, "Actually, you don't have to be so brave."

"My leg is inconvenient, so I'll sleep on the first floor," Gu Zhiyuan said.

“It’s okay, I can help you upstairs, just like before. I asked the doctor today, and he said that mom and dad are supposed to sleep together.” Gu Chen’an looked at the two of them earnestly.

No one expected him to ask the doctor that question. Gu Zhiyuan wanted to say something, but Ji Wei stopped him: "Let's leave it at that." Anyway, they had already slept in the same room last night, so one night or two nights or more didn't seem to make much difference.

"Mom, I'll help you wash later." Gu Chen'an waved to Ji Wei from the stairs.

“Okay.” Ji Wei didn’t refuse his “help,” but after all the clothes were soaked in a large basin with laundry detergent, the two little ones became interested in the bubbles.

"Mom, can we have some bubble water?" Gu Chen'an's eyes flashed with anticipation.

"Go ahead, take your sister with you, and don't get your clothes wet," Ji Wei instructed.

Soon, a lot of bubbles appeared in the yard. Laundry detergent mixed with water is completely different from that kind of bubble solution. There weren't many bubbles, and the yard was full of the smell of laundry detergent. Gu Zhiyuan felt particularly comfortable, though he wished his leg hadn't been injured.

The clothesline in the yard was soon filled with clothes. Gu Zhiyuan would wash his underwear every time he wiped his body. Although Ji Wei washed his outer clothes this time, he was still a little embarrassed. He couldn't remember the last time someone washed his clothes for him.

"By the way, where does Uncle Qin live? Should we go ask him how much he's planning to sell this house for?" Ji Wei hadn't forgotten about buying a house.

"It's on that street over there. Let's go over after dinner." Gu Zhiyuan glanced at the time; it was almost dinnertime.

"Okay, I'll go cook first." This was the couple's first busy weekend since getting married.

During dinner, Gu Chen'an was still trying to convince Lulu of the benefits of sleeping alone, but Lulu immediately covered her ears in protest. Gu Zhiyuan patted his shoulder: "Alright, Lulu is only three years old. Let's talk about this when she's a bit older. By the way, isn't Lulu's birthday the day after tomorrow?"

Gu Zhiyuan still remembered the cake mix-up from last time. According to Ji Wei's timing, it should be the day after tomorrow.

“Yes, Lulu will be three years old the day after tomorrow.” Ji Wei said, touching Lulu’s face.

"Can I eat cake on my birthday?" Lulu asked excitedly, remembering the cake from last week.

"Of course, but this time it's a small cake." At that time, those small cakes that cost one dollar became a nostalgic food for later generations.

"Anything is fine." Lulu was happy with any kind of cake.

Gu Chen'an didn't speak, but his brows were furrowed tightly. Should he prepare a birthday present for Lulu?

"Should we take them with us later?" To be honest, Ji Wei was a little worried about leaving the two of them at home.

"Take it with you, you'll have nothing to do at home anyway." Seeing her worry, Gu Zhiyuan went along with her suggestion.

＊

Uncle Qin has been getting anxious these past few days. Selling the house was a last-minute decision, but several days have passed and no one has inquired about the price. He's starting to worry if he set the price too high. Maybe he should print out the price again and repost it tomorrow?

Seeing the family outside the door, his gaze fell on the cast on Gu Zhiyuan's leg, and he said with some surprise, "Xiao Gu, your leg is inconvenient. If you need anything, just have someone pass on a message to me, and I'll come find you."

"It's alright, Uncle Qin. I'm getting moldy from staying at home all day. I came here today to ask if you've found a buyer for the house yet," Gu Zhiyuan said, stating their purpose directly.

Uncle Qin was overjoyed: "You mean?"

"Yes, we want to buy it, but we don't know how much it will cost?" Gu Zhiyuan said, feigning some embarrassment.

"The price is negotiable, come in." With no one asking about the house anymore, someone was finally inquiring about the price, so Uncle Qin naturally wouldn't let anyone leave.

Seeing the urgency in his eyes, Ji Wei gently tugged at Gu Zhiyuan's sleeve, indicating that she would negotiate the price later. Gu Zhiyuan nodded slightly to her, silently saying "okay".

“Xiao Gu, you’re not an outsider. I put a lot of effort into building this house. We’re practically old acquaintances. If you really want it, it’ll be 20,000.” Uncle Qin seemed to have made a huge decision.

"Uncle Qin, can the price be lowered a bit? We really want it." Before coming, Ji Wei had a general understanding of the town's housing prices. Twenty thousand wasn't high, but it wasn't cheap either.

"Twenty thousand is already a very reasonable price, and I don't plan to take anything out of the house." Twenty thousand was indeed his target price, but he had been considering lowering the price before they arrived.

“Then we can skip those, Uncle Qin, can you lower the price a bit? How about 18,000?” Ji Wei bargained with him. She looked calm on the surface, but only she knew how nervous she was inside.

Uncle Qin didn't expect her to bargain down to two thousand. Thinking about his son's urging, he hesitated for a moment and said, "Okay, but I have one condition: the sooner the better. My son keeps urging me to go there as soon as possible, so I hope this matter can be settled as soon as possible."

“Okay, give us two days to prepare. We’ll go directly to his workplace to make the deal on Wednesday.” Seeing that he had agreed, Ji Wei’s tense emotions began to relax.

After leaving Uncle Qin's house, Gu Zhiyuan began to think about how much money they still needed, and of course, he didn't forget to comfort her, saying, "I'll call Brother Lü and the others tomorrow; they should have some spare money."

"No need, we'll go directly to the credit union to get a loan tomorrow." Yes, a loan—this was a strategy Ji Wei had planned long ago.

"A loan?" Gu Zhiyuan looked at her uncertainly; her thoughts always seemed to be different from those of ordinary people.

“Yes, we both have jobs, so borrowing 10,000 each shouldn’t be a problem. My colleague’s spouse works at the credit union.” Ji Wei plans to consult with Huang Jing about loans tomorrow at work.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Ji Wei explained, "I just think it's better to take out a loan. Borrowing money from others puts you in a debt of gratitude, so it's better to borrow from the government, and we'll pay the interest."

"Does the loan require no collateral?" Gu Zhiyuan asked her.

"It shouldn't be necessary. I'll ask Sister Huang tomorrow." Ji Wei had heard Huang Jing mention before that having a company loan would be more convenient.

"Okay." Gu Zhiyuan suddenly felt that it was nice to have someone make the decision for him.

＊

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Compared to the awkwardness of last night, Ji Wei was much more composed today. She moved the wire bed in the room and explained to Gu Zhiyuan, "The doctor said we need to make Chen An feel the warmth of home. Given his current condition, let's just go along with him for now. What do you think?"

"I'm just worried it might be inconvenient for you," Gu Zhiyuan said, expressing his concern.

"There's nothing inconvenient about it. You can just find an excuse to move out after a while." Ji Wei shook her head. Right now, Gu Chen'an's emotions were the most important thing.

"Ji Wei, thank you. Meeting you is our good fortune." Gu Zhiyuan thought that perhaps all the setbacks before were for this stroke of luck.

"Meeting Chen An was my good fortune," Ji Wei thought. Without Chen An's push, there would be no him now.

"Mom, I'm sleepy," Lulu said, yawning.

"Go to sleep." Ji Wei said, patting her back, and closed her eyes as well. After a busy day in the city, Ji Wei quickly fell asleep.

His steady breathing reminded him that the mother and daughter on the bed were asleep. Occasionally, moonlight would filter through the gaps in the curtains, making the originally dark room a little more hazy. Gu Zhiyuan's gaze fell on the large bed, then quickly looked away, and he closed his eyes as well.

That night, they slept soundly. Gu Chen'an, who was trying to sleep alone for the first time, also welcomed the dawn. He knocked on the door and came in happily: "Dad, I'm not afraid to sleep alone anymore."

"Chen An is great." Ji Wei praised him, giving him a thumbs up.

Such formal praise made Gu Chen'an a little embarrassed. Other classmates had already gone to bed early, and he was actually quite late, but he was still happy.

This little incident added a touch of joy to the dull Monday. As usual, Ji Wei took her two children to school and then went to her office. She arrived relatively early; Huang Jing, who worked at the next desk, hadn't arrived yet. She casually picked up the newspaper on the desk and glanced at it. Remembering yesterday's lottery draw time, she turned to the page with the lottery information. Looking at the winning numbers, Ji Wei's breath caught in her throat for a moment. Had she won?

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Author's Note: [Heart] Do you guys find slice-of-life stories boring? [Rabbit Head with Upright Ears]

I recommend my friend's novel, "The Intellectual's Spoiled Young Lady Wrongly Marries a Tycoon [1960s]" by Qingqingyise.

Copywriting:

Shen Qiao transmigrated into the body of an intellectual about to be demoted to a lower-class position. To make matters worse, she was born with a bright and beautiful appearance and skin as smooth as jade. However, she was forcibly taken by her family's mortal enemy, resulting in the destruction of her family and the death of her loved ones.

In order to survive, Shen Qiao traveled thousands of miles to an island to marry a man who was capable and handsome, and who was her childhood sweetheart.

The sea was raging, and she was shaken dizzy.

Amidst the roar of the wind and waves, Chen Qiao stumbled into the arms of a gay man. He was tall, handsome, and his epaulets were even more dazzling than she had imagined.

Qin Yuntao was a cold and taciturn man from a well-off family, and a notorious troublemaker in the army. To resolve his personal life, the organization department assigned him to pick up the female members of the cultural troupe…

Qin Yuntao scoffed. The women in the cultural troupe were all so delicate and pampered. What was so great about them?

The boat was rocking violently that day. After he helped the fair-skinned, pretty young girl, she smiled at him with her eyes crinkling:

"Comrade Qin Yuntao, let's get married!"

The beautiful and charming young woman turned out to be his blind date!

At the ball, Qin Yuntao's real blind date, with tears in her eyes, came to his door and said, "Sorry, I mistook you for someone else."

In her previous life, she learned that Qin Yuntao held a low-ranking position and therefore refused to marry him.

She carefully selected a suitable partner, only to discover that Qin Yuntao, despite his young age, was a powerful and privileged young man. He was highly capable, but also cold and aloof. She and her partner lived their entire lives in Qin Yuntao's shadow.

She thought Qin Yuntao was still single and that she still had a chance. But when she arrived to confess her feelings, Qin Yuntao had already prepared his marriage application?

The childhood sweetheart who also disliked Shen Qiao's family's decline was completely dumbfounded when he saw that Shen Qiao, whom he had rejected, had turned around and married a high-ranking leader with the same name.

Shen Qiao? Nobody told me there were two Qin Yuntaos on the island?

Actually, Shen Qiao also has a secret. She traveled through time with her spatial ability and resources, hiding all the wealth accumulated by the Shen family over a century.