The developer's staff measured the entire house; the yard and the house together totaled 156 square meters. According to regulations, he would be entitled to three large houses in the future.

After measuring the house, Dong Qing and his wife returned to the real estate company with the staff and signed a contract. From then on, he owned a 468-square-meter property there.

If all homeowners were like Dong Qing, developers would have much less to worry about. They would offer compensation according to regulations without any objection, and would not haggle over the price. Making a scene like a holdout would only damage their own reputation.

The couple drove away from the real estate company, and Li Yuzhu asked, "What will we do with these properties in the future?"

They couldn't possibly live in these houses; they either gave them away or sold them.

Dong Qing said, "In the future, we'll give Fang Lin one house. Since the properties there are related to Su Guifang, we'll give her one. We'll give the other house to Zhu Xiaofei, so she'll have her own place in the city."

That's how rich people are; they just gave away three houses so easily. Li Yuzhu didn't say anything after hearing this; she didn't care about the properties and nodded in agreement.

Su Guifang and Zhang Jian now have two children and still live in the tricycle factory dormitory. Li Yuzhu said, "Let's go to the factory and tell Sister Guifang the good news."

Su Guifang and Zhang Jian got married in the autumn of 1987, and have been married for six years now.

Zhang Jian's mother was too old to help take care of the children, so Su Guifang sent her two children to her mother's hometown to be raised. A few years ago, she brought her daughter, Su Xiaofei, to the city to attend school.

Su Xiaofei is now fourteen years old and is attending junior high school in the city.

Su Guifang and her husband are still welding car frames in the workshop. Now that wages have generally increased, the couple can earn more than 4,000 yuan a month.

In those days, the average monthly salary was around 300 yuan. The couple earned more than 4,000 yuan a month through their skills, which was quite a lot.

Dong Qing and his wife entered Su Guifang's dormitory. Their daughter, Su Xiaofei, had just returned from school and was helping her mother wash vegetables. When she saw Dong Qing and his wife enter, she said, "Mom, my uncle and aunt are here."

It's not contradictory for Su Xiaofei to address Dong Qing and his wife in this way. Su Xiaofei's biological father and Li Yuzhu are of the same generation, so she should call him aunt.

The two rooms were connected, separated by a cloth partition. Su Guifang said from behind the partition, "Brothers and sisters are here. Please wait a moment. I'll come out after I change my clothes."

Su Guifang must have just gotten off work and was changing clothes inside.

Not long after, she came out from behind the cloth screen.

She is 34 years old this year, and she looks much older than she did a few years ago, but she is still very beautiful.

A woman in her twenties is in her most beautiful and golden age, but her thirties are when she is at her most mature. Only women in this age group truly know what life is all about.

A woman in her thirties, after years of life's trials and tribulations, has been adorned with maturity and confidence by time. She is no longer the fragile woman she once was.

A young woman in her twenties is like a flower bud yet to bloom; she may look beautiful and delicate, but she cannot withstand the harshness of a storm.

Only women in their thirties truly understand what life is, how to overcome obstacles and forge their own path. The passing years have left indescribable marks on her, but they have also bestowed upon her an indomitable will.

Unhappiness in love, marriage, and family, along with the ups and downs of life, cruel fate bestowed upon Su Guifang independence and resilience. The will forged in hardship is what truly constitutes a realistic life, and she has come to understand the importance of letting go and cherishing what she has.

That's why women in her age group are the most beautiful; at least they understand what real life is like. Girls in their twenties really don't understand these things because they haven't been tempered by the harsh realities of life.

If a girl in her twenties is a flower bud yet to bloom, then a woman in her thirties is like a cup of coffee, where even amidst the intense bitterness, a subtle sweetness can be savored.

Su Guifang smiled and said, "You've arrived, please have a seat."

Their daughter, Su Xiaofei, poured a glass of water for each of them.

Li Yuzhu took the teacup and said, "Time flies! When I was a little girl, Xiaofei was still in my arms, and now she's grown into a young woman."

Su Guifang said, "They've grown up, and we're all getting old."

As the saying goes, don't despise your child for being young; only look at yourself for being old. When your child grows up, it means you are getting old.

Dongqing asked, "Sister Guifang, has Master Zhang not finished get off work yet?"

Su Guifang said, "She left work with me. My mother-in-law is getting old now, and I often go home in the evenings to keep her company. She goes home right after get off work."

They are in this age group with elderly parents to care for and young children to raise, making it the most challenging period of their lives.

Dongqing said, "Sister Guifang, do you still remember the house you rented in the city a few years ago?"

Su Guifang said, "I will never forget that place in my life. Why did you bring it up?"

Dong Qing said, "The developer called me today and asked me to come over to accept compensation and sign a contract. They're going to build a housing complex in that area soon, and they'll give me three large apartments. My kids are all grown up now, and it's no longer suitable for them to live here. I'm thinking of giving you one of the apartments later, and I'll put the property certificate on it for you."

Su Guifang was overjoyed to hear this. She longed to have a home of her own in this city. She said, "I owe you two so much. I can't just live in this house for free. I'll pay for it myself, and if I don't have enough, I can pay you back slowly."

Li Yuzhu said, "Sister Guifang, you're being too formal. I've always considered you my own sister-in-law. Let's not talk about money, okay? We only contributed 5,000 yuan for that house back then, which is practically free these days. It's settled then, and I'll give you a big house later."

Back then, 5,000 yuan was not a small amount for ordinary people, but it was nothing to Dong Qing.

Su Guifang and her husband can now earn this much money in just over a month.

Prices were all based on the value at the time, because most families couldn't afford that much money back then.

Su Guifang said, "Thank you."

It was a blessing for Su Guifang to meet Dong Qing and his wife in her life; otherwise, her life might have turned out very differently.

Li Yuzhu asked, "Has Master Zhang treated you well all these years?"

Su Guifang said, "Don't worry, he treats me very well. I'm so glad you introduced him to me back then, otherwise I really don't know if I could have made it through."

Life is full of ups and downs, and who can predict what lies ahead? One right step leads to another, and one wrong step leads to another.

Especially in matters of marriage, if you marry the wrong man, you'll suffer a lifetime of hardship. Even if you own thousands of acres of land, it's better to marry a good husband.

The younger brother, Li Yufei, is also unable to take care of others, and the mother has to take care of her own and her sister's children every day, so she simply cannot take care of Zhu Xiaofei.

To make it easier to take Zhu Xiaofei to the clinic for acupuncture, Li Yuzhu took her to live at her home two months ago.

With a guide dog, it's much easier for her to go out.

That's the good thing about guide dogs. No matter where Zhu Xiaofei goes, as long as she says "go home," the guide dog can take her home.