Chapter 70 (combined with Chapter 70)

The next day, Cao Shengde called Yan Ruyi.

Yan Ruyi wanted to renovate her house in Jianglin New Village. After Cao Shengde found out, he helped her find a renovation team. The person in charge of the renovation team was surnamed Yan and named Yan Kaixuan, who was a friend of Cao Shengde.

Cao Shengde: "Old Yan said he wants to visit your house to get a sense of the materials needed. Manager Yan, when is a convenient time for you?"

Yan Ruyi only had time at noon, so she and Yan Kaixuan arranged to go there at noon.

When Yan Ruyi arrived at noon, Yan Kaixuan and Cao Shengde were already waiting for her at Jianglin New Village.

Yan Kaixuan was about the same age as Cao Shengde, and was very refined and gentle. He didn't seem like a decorator; he looked more like a teacher.

This was the first time Yan Ruyi and Yan Kaixuan had met, and Cao Shengde introduced them to each other.

Yan Ruyi said, "Captain Yan, I have a friend who also bought a house in Jianglin New Village. It's the same size as mine, and she wants to renovate it together with me."

Yan Kaixuan readily agreed.

And they offered the same discounted price as He Yan Ruyi.

Jianglin New Village has been open for sale for more than three months, but there aren't many people buying houses there.

Currently, people still have more faith in housing allocated by work units and housing built through collective fundraising.

Commercial housing isn't cheap, and everyone's afraid that the policy might suddenly change one day, leaving them with nothing but money and a house.

Moreover, compared to collectively funded housing construction, the price of Jianglin New Village is at least half again as expensive.

There's no concept of investment yet. Families with good financial conditions generally don't lack housing, so there's no need to buy.

Those who have limited housing resources are generally not financially well-off and cannot afford to buy a house.

So far, at least one-third of the houses in Jianglin New Village have not been sold.

Cao Shengde said, "Based on my experience, the policy will definitely not change, and commercial housing may become the mainstream housing option in the future."

Cao Shengde works for a construction company. The large-scale buildings in the city are usually built by them, either as the first or second-tier construction companies. They have more information than outsiders like them.

He also revealed some information to Yan Ruyi: "At the beginning of this month, the municipal government approved two more plots of land to build commercial housing, and from what I understand, the prices may be higher than those in Jianglin New Village. This clearly means that the country wants to develop the real estate market."

Because of her work, Yan Ruyi not only pays attention to various domestic policies, but also to the economic development of other countries.

Including housing conditions.

Therefore, I agree with Cao Shengde's opinion.

She has earned over 100,000 yuan now, and besides depositing it in the bank, she has used the rest to buy treasury bonds and gold.

The domestic gold market was not yet open; to buy gold bars, you had to go to the Friendship Store with foreign exchange certificates.

The current exchange rate on the black market is approximately 130 RMB to 100 foreign exchange certificates.

Yan Ruyi felt that the exchange rate was a bit unfair.

The last time Yang Siyuan came over, the two chatted during lunch. Yang Siyuan said that there is gold everywhere on the ground now, and that putting money in the bank is the dumbest way. If you want your money to make money quickly, you have to make investments.

Yan Ruyi humbly asked him for advice on what kind of investments to make.

Yang Siyuan said, “You’re an expert in investing in antiques, so you don’t have to worry about making a mistake. But you can’t put all your eggs in one basket. Besides antiques, you can also invest in real estate. Currently, this is the easiest investment channel. Based on the development experience of Hong Kong, I think that the domestic real estate market will develop rapidly in the next few years. Investing in real estate is a sure thing. It’s a pity that my household registration is not in China, so I’m not eligible to buy. Otherwise, I would definitely buy a few properties and let them appreciate in value.”

The Yang Group started in real estate, and Yang Siyuan is particularly sensitive to real estate policies.

He revealed that the Yang Group already has plans to participate in domestic real estate development.

Yan Ruyi started thinking about whether she should buy another apartment in Jianglin New Village for her parents to live in their old age.

The houses in the machine tool family compound are nice, but there are no toilets; everyone has to go to the public toilets outside.

And you can't take a bath either.

In comparison, the houses in Jianglin New Village are much better; you don't even need to go outside to use the toilet or take a shower.

Moreover, heating has been installed, so there's no need to burn coal briquettes for warmth in winter, and there's no need to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning.

After returning home, Yan Ruyi discussed it with Song Yiping.

Whatever decision Yan Ruyi makes, Song Yiping will naturally give his full support.

In short, he only cared about making money, not spending it; his wife could spend the family's money however she wanted.

Yan Ruyi quickly bought another set.

This apartment was specifically purchased on the first floor, considering that it would be for Ye Hongzhen and Yan Guoqiang to live in.

The first floor also has a small courtyard. When the two of them move in, they can grow vegetables and flowers, just like they did in the machine tool factory's residential compound.

However, this will only happen when Yan Guoqiang retires, and Yan Minghe will be in high school and living at school, at which point the elderly couple can move in.

Since the house was empty anyway, Yan Ruyi asked Yan Kaixuan to do some simple renovations and then post rental information on the neighborhood office's bulletin board.

On Sunday, it was Miaomiao's birthday. Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping went out early in the morning. First, they went to the department store and bought Miaomiao a pink tulle dress. Then they went to Sim Cake Shop and bought a birthday cake.

Then he went to the machine tool factory's residential compound.

Fang Caiyun was playing with Miaomiao at the door when Yan Ruyi called out "Miaomiao," and Miaomiao stretched out her little arms and ran over.

Yan Ruyi picked her up and kissed her on the cheek, "Did you miss your aunt?"

Miaomiao kissed her on the cheek, "Yes."

Fang Caiyun laughed and said, "I was just asking, why isn't Auntie here yet?"

She took the cake and the little dress from Song Yiping.

“Your older brother said he wanted to buy a cake, and I told him you probably would. Luckily you didn’t, or you would have bought the same cake twice.”

Yan Ruyi carried Miaomiao into the courtyard.

Li Yan carried Congcong out of the main room. "Congcong, come see your aunt! Let's go see what gift your aunt brought for Congcong."

Congcong and Miaomiao are both nieces, and Yan Ruyi will not treat them differently.

She took out a can of malted milk powder and gave it to Li Yan.

Li Yan was delighted and waved Congcong's little hand, "Congcong, quickly thank your auntie."

Congcong is only 3 months old and doesn't understand anything; all he can do is whimper.

When she was born, her face was all wrinkled, and she looked like a little old lady.

Now she's grown up, and her eyebrows and eyes are somewhat like Miaomiao's, except her skin is like Li Yan's, not as fair as Miaomiao's.

Fang Caiyun teased Congcong and casually asked Li Yan, "Xiao Yan, your maternity leave is over, right?"

“I’ve already taken my leave, and I asked the factory for another 20 days off. In another week, those 20 days will also be used up. I’m really worried about what to do with Congcong.”

Larger companies usually have factory-run nurseries where children of factory employees can attend for free.

The daycare's opening and closing hours are the same as the factory's. Parents can drop their children off at the daycare before going to work and pick them up when they leave, which is convenient for dual-income families.

Li Yan's factory was a small factory run by the local street government and didn't have the capacity to run a daycare center.

However, there are daycare centers on this street, but they are not free. The daycare fee plus food costs 5 yuan a month.

Li Yan didn't want to pay the money; she wanted Ye Hongzhen to help take care of Congcong.

She didn't dare to tell her mother-in-law directly, so she tried to probe with words, "The neighborhood office does have a daycare center, but it costs 5 yuan a month, which is 60 yuan a year. My monthly salary isn't even enough for that."

Ye Hongzhen never took care of Miaomiao when she was little.

The steel mill has a nursery, and Fang Caiyun always puts Miaomiao there.

Since she didn't bring Miaomiao, Ye Hongzhen didn't plan to bring Congcong either, otherwise her eldest son's wife would have objections.

Furthermore, she has a bad back and also has to take care of the family's basic needs, so she really doesn't have the energy to take care of the child.

She didn't respond to Li Yan's words.

Li Yan could tell from her mother-in-law's expression that she wasn't planning to help her take care of the child.

She had a sudden inspiration and asked Yan Ruyi, "Ruyi, your workplace doesn't have a daycare center, right? Yiping's mother also has to work. When you have a baby, there won't be anyone to help take care of it."

Yan Ruyi: "I haven't thought about it yet."

"If it really doesn't work out, let Mom help you take care of it. Anyway, Mom has nothing to do at home."

Ye Hongzhen said, "I have nothing to do at home, but your family of three, do you starve to death?"

"I'm just thinking of Ruyi's best interests."

Yan Ruyi said, "Second sister-in-law, you've reminded me that this is indeed a problem."

Li Yan said, "That's right. For dual-income families like ours, it's definitely a problem if no one helps take care of the child. But you still have your mother. She loves you the most, so she can help you take care of the child."

If Ye Hongzhen were to say that she would help Yan Ruyi take care of the baby, she would ask, "If you can help your daughter take care of the baby, why can't you help your son take care of the baby?"

To everyone's surprise, Yan Ruyi smiled and said, "Our company also has dual-income families. I think we should set up our own daycare center."

Most of the people working at Jialide now are young people.

There are also dual-income households.

However, since it was newly established, Garlide did not have its own daycare center.

Since most of the first- and second-level construction engineers are male employees, and given the societal norm that women should be the ones taking care of children, neither of these organizations has a childcare facility.

They, along with the first and second-level construction engineers, all belong to the Dongmen Subdistrict Office. The Subdistrict Office does have a childcare center, but it's a bit far away. The first and second-level construction engineers, as well as dual-income families like those in Jialide, all put their children in the Dongmen Subdistrict Office childcare center.

When Yan Ruyi got off work, she saw mothers running to pick up their children more than once.

However, given Jialide's current financial situation, it is not yet able to operate a daycare center.

However, those who are first-level or second-level construction engineers have money and can apply together with these two companies.

On Monday, Yan Ruyi went back to the Cultural Relics Bureau.

First, I want to report to Director Liu on my work; second, I want to seek Director Liu's opinion on jointly establishing a nursery with the First and Second Construction Companies.

Director Liu thought her suggestion was excellent. "This is a good thing to solve the employees' worries. The First and Second Construction Teams will definitely agree. Here's what we'll do: you go back to work first, and I'll call the heads of the First and Second Construction Teams in a bit to hear their opinions. I'll call you back afterward."

Yan Ruyi went downstairs after leaving Director Liu's office.

When they reached the corner, they saw Shen Zhimin and Tang Yanna arguing.

Upon seeing Yan Ruyi approaching, the two of them simultaneously fell silent.

Yan Ruyi walked past the two without glancing at them.

Once Yan Ruyi was out of sight, Tang Yanna nudged Shen Zhimin and continued the previous topic, "My mom said that there should be at least three cars for the wedding procession."

"Where am I supposed to find you three cars!"

Shen Zhimin's father was fired from the art museum and couldn't find a job, so he had no choice but to open an art training class at home, but very few people came to learn.

His mother felt ashamed, and having been a housewife for half her life, she didn't know anything and wouldn't even consider finding a job. The family was on the verge of starvation, yet she was unwilling to do anything.

The family of three now relies solely on Shen Zhimin's meager income.

He only earns 58 yuan a month now, and even with various subsidies, it's only 65 yuan.

Let alone three cars, given his family's current situation, they can't find even one.

"I don't care. If you can't find it, figure it out yourself. Anyway, I can't let Yan Ruyi outdo me."

When Yan Ruyi got married, she was picked up by three cars; she could only have more, not less.

Tang Yanna always compared herself to Yan Ruyi, which annoyed Shen Zhimin. "If you're so capable, go find a good officer yourself. Why do you have to cling to me?"

"Do you think I wanted this? If it weren't for what you did that night..."

Still mindful that they were at work, Tang Yanna didn't dare to tell him directly that Shen Zhimin had lured her to bed.

Shen Zhimin: "How can you blame me? It's because you kept getting closer to me."

Seeing that Tang Yanna was about to explode in anger, he quickly calmed her down, "Let's not talk about the past. We're going to live together from now on. You don't want me to be burdened with debt just because of a wedding, do you? Let's compromise. When we get married, I'll find nine bicycles to pick you up. It's a good symbol, for a long and lasting marriage."

"No, we need three cars, more is not an option."

Despite Shen Zhimin's best efforts to persuade her, Tang Yanna remained adamant that she wanted to compete with Yan Ruyi and demanded three cars.

Shen Zhimin also got angry and started to speak recklessly, "That's because Yan Ruyi is worthy. What do you have to compare with her? Are you prettier than her, or more capable? She's a manager now. Putting everything else aside, just in terms of income, ten of you can't catch up. You still insist on comparing yourself to her. Can't you have some self-awareness?"

Shen Zhimin is now filled with deep regret.

If he hadn't broken up with Yan Ruyi, they would be flying side by side now, progressing together.

It's not like it is now; he's practically stuck in the mud, let alone flying high.

Tang Yanna exploded, "I knew you still had her in your heart, but I'm afraid she doesn't even look at you anymore. Who do you think you are? You're not even worthy to carry Commander Song's shoes!"

"I'm not worthy to carry Commander Song's shoes, but you are worthy to carry Ruyi's shoes?"

...

Yesterday, the two of them had a falling out over the wedding arrangements.

Today, Tang Yanna actually went directly to his office.

He couldn't bear the embarrassment, so he called Tang Yanna downstairs, hoping to appease her.

They were standing at the corner, and if they were talking normally, the people upstairs shouldn't be able to hear them.

However, both of them lost their composure at this moment, and their voices became louder.

The two were arguing so hard that their voices grew louder and louder, when they heard someone upstairs shouting at them, "You two downstairs, do you think you're at home? It's working hours now. If you have any problems, wait until you get home after get off work to argue!"

Tang Yanna was furious and retorted to the upstairs neighbor, "Mind your own business!"

Shen Zhimin couldn't bear the embarrassment, so he turned and left.

He was afraid that Tang Yanna would follow him back to his office, and if they started arguing again, it would be even more embarrassing.

They simply walked outside.

Tang Yanna is now utterly disappointed in Shen Zhimin.

But she had already lost her innocence, and no matter how disappointed she was, she had no choice but to marry Shen Zhimin.

She regretted not listening to her mother and breaking up with Shen Zhimin sooner.

It's too late to say anything now.

Director Liu first called Cao Shengde, the person in charge of the First Construction Company, and told him about Yan Ruyi's proposal.

Cao Shengde: "Manager Yan's suggestion is good. Some female employees in our unit have also raised this issue with the Women's Committee. We have indeed thought about setting up a nursery, but considering that there are few female employees in our First Construction Company, even if the nursery is built, I'm afraid not many children will be able to enroll. So we put this matter on hold. We haven't thought about building one in conjunction with other units. Director Liu, you don't need to call the Second Construction Company anymore. I'll go directly to their Manager Chen, and then the three of us can find time to hold a meeting to finalize this matter."

"Okay, after you've discussed it with Manager Chen, call Xiao Yan and tell her."

The first-level and second-level construction engineers are only competitors at work; in private, Cao Shengde and Chen Pengqiang, the person in charge of the second-level construction engineer exam, have a good relationship.

Cao Shengde and Chen Pengqiang discussed this matter.

Chen Pengqiang naturally wholeheartedly agreed that the job would solve the employees' worries.

The three units held a meeting and decided to raise funds to build a nursery. Once the nursery is built, children aged 3 months to 3 years old of employees of the First and Second Construction Engineers and Jialide can attend for free.

The initial plan includes a nursery, classrooms, a dining hall, activity rooms, and a health room.

Running a nursery can not only solve the worries of employees in these three units, but also increase women's employment.

And the city doesn't have to spend a single penny.

The city government was very supportive, and the approval came through quickly. The site was located east of Jialide, about a 10-minute walk from Jialide.

The first and second-level construction engineers are both construction professionals. This time, the two construction companies didn't compete with each other. They were more united than ever before, and the nursery building was completed in just half a month.

Recruitment is also underway, with plans to hire one director, eight childcare workers, three cooks, one sanitation worker, and three teachers.

Kared has experience in this area, so Kared is in charge.

The nursery building is finished, and all the staff are in place. It will officially open after National Day.

On that day, they even held a special entrance ceremony, which was attended by reporters from the Beijing Evening News.

Cao Shengde and Chen Pengqiang were not good at dealing with reporters, so they pushed Yan Ruyi forward. "It was Manager Yan who first suggested setting up this daycare center. She has more experience and insights. If you want to interview someone, interview her."

The reporter from the Beijing Evening News, surnamed Li, went to interview Yan Ruyi. "Manager Yan, most of the current daycare centers are run by their own work units or are spearheaded by the street offices. How did you come up with the idea of ​​your three work units jointly running a daycare center?"

Yan Ruyi is now able to handle interviews with reporters with ease.

“Employees of our three units all have a need for childcare, but the number of children in each unit is limited. If we run a childcare center on our own, we will face financial pressure. On the other hand, and most importantly, there will be a shortage of children, which will easily lead to a waste of teaching staff. So I thought it would be better to run one together with the first-level and second-level construction engineers.”

Our three units are the closest to each other, and we have cooperated before with great success. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them brother units. After Director Liu of our Cultural Relics Bureau communicated with Manager Cao and Manager Chen, they both agreed. We reached a consensus almost without any trouble. We all share the same goal: to resolve the employees' worries and create the best possible environment for the children to grow up in.

City leaders also provided strong support, approving the land use for the nursery at the fastest speed. The subdistrict office also helped with planning and suggestions. With everyone's joint efforts, Chun Ya (Spring Sprout) came to be today.

Chun Ya is the name of the nursery. Reporter Li looked at the sign hanging at the gate and said, "The handwriting is really good."

Yan Ruyi smiled and said, "It was written by my husband. He is a soldier and loves children, so I gave him special permission to write the inscription."

Yan Ruyi led reporter Li on a tour, explaining as she went, "Currently, we have two classes: an infant class and a daycare class. The infant class accepts children aged 0 to 1, and the daycare class accepts children aged 1 to 3. Later, depending on actual needs, we may also open a preschool class, or even a primary school. The nursery's employees are also preferentially recruited from the families of first-level and second-level construction engineers and Jialide employees. This not only solves the employment problem for employees' family members, but also ensures that the children are taken care of by our own people, which makes parents with children in the nursery more at ease."

Yan Ruyi led reporter Li on a tour of the Chun Ya Nursery.

All three co-organizers are financially well-off and willing to spend money, so Chun Ya is top-notch in both hardware and software.

It has more complete facilities than the city's affiliated nurseries.

After reporter Li's article was published in the Beijing Evening News, employees from other factories were extremely envious.

The employees of the first and second level construction engineers and Jialide were also proud of this, and their backs straightened even more.

Luo Huihui was also very envious.

She and Jiang Hao had set their wedding date for October 28th, and Yan Ruyi came over a day early to see how her preparations were going.

Mrs. Luo and the others were all home, and before they knew it, the conversation had turned to Chun Ya.

Luo Huihui said, "Your Chun Ya nursery has such great conditions. It's a pity you don't accept children from other organizations. Otherwise, when I have a child, I will definitely send him to your nursery."

Yan Ruyi said, "You're not even married yet, and you're already thinking about which daycare to send your child to."

"It'll be soon, won't it? The wedding is tomorrow, and around this time the year after next, I'll probably become a mother and have to think about the issue of getting my child into daycare."

“Then come to our Jialide, and you can send your child to Chun Ya.”

"I wouldn't dare go."

Luo Huihui once went to Jialide to see Yan Ruyi, and witnessed Jialide's work efficiency firsthand.

She waited there for Yan Ruyi for an hour, but didn't see a single stranger.

No wonder everyone says that Jialide pays high salaries.

She's used to being lazy, so she'll likely suffer from acclimatization issues there.

As the two were talking, they heard Tang Yanna and her mother arguing again behind them.

Liu Yunmin: "You're about to get married, why are you still arguing?"

Mrs. Luo said, "We couldn't agree on the cars for the wedding. The Tang family insisted on three cars, while the Shen family said they would bring nine bicycles. If the Tang family insisted on cars, they should find their own. The Tang family was already unhappy about the marriage, but their daughter couldn't refuse to marry, so they were very angry."

Liu Yunmin said, "If you really don't want to marry your daughter off, then don't get married. Why argue like this over the wedding car?"

"Tang Yanna has been vomiting a lot lately. We could hear her vomiting loudly even in our house. It's probably because..."

Mrs. Luo didn't say it explicitly, but everyone present understood.

Tang Yanna is pregnant, and the Shen family has her under their thumb.

Now, even if it's just one bicycle, let alone nine, Tang Yanna would still marry him.

But Tang Yanna was not reconciled, especially after learning that Luo Huihui's wedding was also attended by three cars.

Because October 28th is an auspicious day, Tang Yanna and Shen Zhimin also held their wedding on this day.

The two families lived in front and back yards. Luo Huihui was picked up by three cars, but when she got married, she was picked up by nine bicycles.

She couldn't accept it at all, but the Shen family said that all they had was a bicycle; they could take it or leave it.

Tang Yanna has been angry for several days because of this.

However, losing his temper couldn't change the established facts. The next day, the Jiang family came to pick up the bride first, with three cars taking Luo Huihui away in a grand manner.

The Shen family had agreed to send nine bicycles, but only six actually arrived.

The Shen family didn't have many relatives and weren't well-liked in the fertilizer factory's residential compound, so only a few people came.

Moreover, Shen Zhimin never had a smile on his face from the moment he arrived until he left.

If it weren't for the support of Tang's relatives, there probably wouldn't have been any joy at all.

On the day of Luo Huihui's wedding, Yan Ruyi took a day off.

After the banquet, she went home. As soon as she got home, she received a phone call. "Hello, I'm looking for Yan Ruyi."

"That's me. May I ask who you are?"

"My name is Xu Chunfang. I heard that you have a house for rent. I'd like to rent your house. Can I take a look at the house first?"

"Yes, I can watch it. I happen to be home right now. If it's convenient for you, you can come over now."

"That's convenient, I'll be right there."

Yan Ruyi and Xu Chunfang agreed to meet at the entrance of Jianglin New Village.

After hanging up the phone, Yan Ruyi rode her bicycle to Yunjiang Linxin Village.

When I arrived at the entrance of the residential area, I saw a woman standing there, holding a child in her arms.

The woman was busy comforting the child and didn't even see Yan Ruyi who was right in front of her.

Yan Ruyi called out, "Xu Chunfang?"

Xu Chunfang looked up and said, "Hello, Manager Yan, I am Xu Chunfang."

Yan Ruyi felt that Xu Chunfang looked familiar and asked her, "Do you work as a Level 1 or Level 2 construction engineer?"

"I work at the Level 2 Construction Engineer Training Center."

No wonder it looked familiar.

When Chun Ya Nursery opened, Yan Ruyi also went. Xu Chunfang is an employee of the Second Construction Company. Her child met the enrollment requirements for Chun Ya Nursery, so it is estimated that she also sent her child there that day.

Yan Ruyi has a good memory; she can remember almost everyone she has met.

"Let's go, I'll show you the house first."

The new apartment she bought is in the same building and unit as her first one, and the layout is exactly the same.

The only difference is that one is on the 5th floor and the other is on the 1st floor.

Yan Ruyi took out her key and opened the door.

The house had been simply renovated. The walls were whitewashed, the floor was relaid with cement, doors and windows were installed, and water and electricity were connected. Yan Ruyi also bought some furniture, including cabinets, a bed, a dining table, and chairs.

If you're not too particular, you can just bring your bedding and move in.

"The small yard in front is a gift; you can plant flowers or vegetables there."

Xu Chunfang looked at the house inside and out and was very satisfied with it.

Especially the courtyard, which is quite spacious. When the children can run around, they can play in the courtyard.

"Manager Yan, how much does this apartment cost per month?"

"20 yuan."

Yan Ruyi had inquired and found that the rent for a house this big was usually around this price.

Xu Chunfang said embarrassedly, "Manager Yan, could you give me 15 yuan first, and I'll make up the other 5 yuan when I have more money? I promise I'll give it to you. If you don't believe me, you can write it in the rental agreement."

"You live alone?"

“I divorced my husband. His family disliked that I was a girl and didn’t want to raise the child, so the child stayed with me. I have a brother on my parents’ side, and he’s married. It’s inconvenient for me to go back to my parents’ house, so I rented a place to live. My daughter’s health isn’t very good, and I want to save more money in the next two years.”

"Then let's go with 15 yuan. We don't need to make up the 5 yuan later."

Xu Chunfang said anxiously, "Manager Yan, you've misunderstood. I didn't mean to play the victim..."

“Five yuan is nothing to me, but it’s different for you. You don’t need to give it to me. Anyway, this house is just sitting empty. You and your child can move in and bring some life to the house.”

Xu Chunfang's eyes immediately reddened.

Her husband also works at the Second Construction Company and earns a lot of money every month, but he doesn't give her a single penny; he gambles it all away.

Not only did they not give her money, they also asked her for it, and if she didn't give it to them, they would argue.

She endured it for three years, but she couldn't take it anymore and divorced the man.

She gave birth to a girl, and her husband's family didn't want to raise her.

Her brother from her maternal family has also gotten married. She went back to her parents' home for a few days, but her brother's wife gave her the cold shoulder. Her parents also didn't want her to stay any longer. If she hadn't really had nowhere else to go, she wouldn't have rented a place to live outside.

She was a temporary worker at the Second Construction Company, earning only 48 yuan a month. Her child was also in poor health and needed to go to the hospital almost every month.

The doctor said the child's illness would get better as he got older, so she wanted to save more money in the coming years for emergencies.

Her original plan was to give Yan Ruyi 15 yuan a month, and then give her the remaining 5 yuan when the child was older and didn't need to go to the hospital as often.

Unexpectedly, Yan Ruyi cut it off for her directly.

Of all the relatives in my wife's family and husband's family, none of them are as genuine as the care from a stranger.

She forced herself not to cry, and said, "Thank you, Manager Yan."

"You're welcome. Are you moving in today?"

"I'll move in today. I'll go back in a bit and ask my brother from my mother's side to bring my bedding over."

Although Yan Ruyi reduced the price by 15 yuan, a rental agreement still needed to be signed.

Yan Ruyi had already written the rental agreement and took it out for Xu Chunfang to sign.

The original agreement stated that it would cost 20 yuan per month, but Yan Ruyi changed it to 15 yuan, payable monthly, with Xu Chunfang paying for water and electricity herself.

The two signed the rental agreement, and Yan Ruyi gave Xu Chunfang a copy while keeping one for herself.

Xu Chunfang had money on her and paid this month's rent first.

With a place to stay, Xu Chunfang was visibly relieved. She kissed the baby's cheek in her arms and said, "Baby, we have a home now."

Yan Ruyi left only after confirming that she didn't need to do anything else.

As she approached home, a black sedan pulled up in front of her. Yan Ruyi moved aside, but the sedan stopped next to her. The rear window rolled down, revealing two men inside. One of the men was holding a newspaper. He looked at the newspaper, then at Yan Ruyi, and asked, "Excuse me, are you Manager Yan Ruyi?"

"I am, and you are?"

"My name is Feng Dahe, and this is my friend. We have long admired Manager Yan and would like to ask him to take a look at our products."

"Okay, tell me a location, and I'll be there in a bit."

"Why don't you take our car?"

Yan Ruyi never rides in a stranger's car.

"No need, I'll ride my bike there."

Feng Dahe didn't insist. "Alright, I see a teahouse up ahead, let's go there."

There was only one teahouse ahead, so Yan Ruyi said to him, "Okay, you go ahead first, I'll be there shortly."

Feng Dahe and his group drove off first.

Yan Ruyi glanced at her watch; it was 5 p.m.

The teahouse isn't far; it only takes about 10 minutes to get there by bike.

She appraises antiques very quickly, just by glancing at them.

The round trip should take no more than half an hour, and I should be able to get home before Song Yiping does.

She didn't go home to leave a note for Song Yiping; instead, she rode her bike directly to the teahouse.

Feng Dahe was waiting for her at the entrance of the teahouse and led her to the second floor.

Feng Dahe had already booked a private room and welcomed Yan Ruyi into it.

The other two people who were with Feng Dahe were already waiting in the private room.

One was the driver, and the other was Feng Dahe's friend.

The man was of medium height, wearing a suit and glasses. When Yan Ruyi came in, he didn't say anything, but just nodded at her.

Feng Dahe only said that this person was his friend, without introducing his surname or given name.

Judging from how the two interacted, Yan Ruyi felt that the man didn't seem to be Feng Dahe's friend.

The waiter came over with tea and left, then Feng Dahe closed the door to the private room.

A large travel bag was on the ground, and the contents inside seemed quite heavy. Feng Dahe and the driver worked together to take the items out of the travel bag and put them on the table.

Yan Ruyi heard a slight creaking sound.

It's probably too heavy; the table is struggling to keep up.

The object that Feng Dahe took out looked to be over a foot tall, wrapped in newspaper. The wrapping was quite thick, and you couldn't tell what was inside just by looking at the outside.

Feng Dahe said, "My friend got it by chance. He likes it very much, but he doesn't know if it's real or fake, so he wants to ask Manager Yan to take a look. As for the appraisal fee, Manager Yan will definitely not be shortchanged. Regardless of whether it's real or fake, the appraisal fee is 2,000 yuan."

Yan Ruyi appraises antiques and charges based on the antique's collectible value, with appraisal fees typically ranging from 200 to 1000 yuan.

Like Feng Dahe, Yan Ruyi hadn't even seen the item yet, and he already said he wanted to give her 2,000 yuan.

Yan Ruyi thought he was either stupid or had too much money to burn.

He said to Feng Dahe, "Let me take a look at the things first."

Feng Dahe leaned close to his friend and whispered a few words in his ear.

The voice was too soft for Yan Ruyi to hear clearly. She saw her friend nod, and then Feng Dahe began to remove the newspaper wrapping the object.

The newspaper was probably wrapped in more than a dozen layers before finally revealing its true form.

Yan Ruyi's heart skipped a beat when she saw it.

No wonder Feng Dahe paid such a high appraisal fee; he probably wanted to shut her up.