As if by magic, Bai Jiaojiao pulled two pieces of fruit candy from her pocket and handed them to the woman: "These are for the child."

The woman took the candy, a warm smile spreading across her face: "You've come to the right person! My neighbor is selling his house! But there's a bit of a problem with it."

"How is it troublesome?"

Bai Jiaojiao was surprised to hear that there really were houses for sale.

She originally only wanted to recruit an informant to help her gather more information, but now that she had received news, Bai Jiaojiao couldn't help but ask a few more questions.

The eldest sister said, "This is how it is in their family. The old man just passed away and left behind the house. He had one son and two daughters. The eldest son felt that as the only son, the house should definitely be given to him. But the two daughters disagreed, saying that in this new society, daughters can also inherit their mother's family's property. They wanted to sell the house and divide it into three equal parts."

Upon hearing this, Bai Jiaojiao understood the trouble involved.

The older woman continued, "Things aren't like the older generation now. This girl is very assertive. She went to the police station and filed a lawsuit. In the end, the house will definitely have to be sold, but her eldest son said that he will make sure no one who dares to buy it gets away with it!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Heng glanced at Bai Jiaojiao.

Bai Jiaojiao said, "Big sister, we're not afraid of this. Could you take us there to see?"

“No one lives in that house now. The two daughters used to put their work phone numbers on the door, but their son tore them down. I can only take you to see the outside of the wall.”

"You can show us the location, that would be fine too."

"Then come with me, we live in the same alley," the woman said, handing the candy to the two children, who quietly licked it.

As she led the way, the older woman said, "Let me be clear, their eldest son is no good. If he comes looking for trouble later, their two daughters are married and won't care about anything after the house is sold. You two are so young, if you're not in a hurry, you should look for other houses."

This older sister is a really nice person. She kept patiently explaining the dangers involved, worried that the two young people might act impulsively and regret it later.

They walked two alleys ahead and arrived: "This is my house, their house is at the very end."

Bai Jiaojiao walked into the alley and saw that the courtyard was quite large, with a vegetable garden surrounding the entrance. The old man who lived there must have been a hardworking person.

"The key is currently in the hands of their youngest daughter; their eldest daughter is married and lives far away. If you really want it, I can send a message to her workplace for you."

"Thank you so much, sister. If we decide to buy it, we'll definitely thank you properly."

It's only right to give the middleman some compensation for his service, but the woman waved her hand and said, "No need, no need. Just don't let it slip in front of his eldest son that I was the one who helped him! Are you sure you want it?"

Bai Jiaojiao nodded: "If this is the only store selling it in this area, we definitely want it."

Why do you insist on buying in this area?

"We go to university here; it's convenient here."

Bai Jiaojiao wasn't afraid to reveal her background; after all, she could buy a house with a snap of her fingers, and people would have to be wary of her when considering her.

"You're still college students! That's impressive! But you're so inexperienced, do you think you can outmaneuver their eldest son?"

Bai Jiaojiao didn't reveal the truth, only saying, "What's there to be afraid of? If he dares to cause trouble, just call the police. My husband is here, and we won't know who's causing trouble until the police arrive. If it really doesn't work, I'll talk to my family."

This woman was indeed intimidated by Bai Jiaojiao's last sentence.

They assumed her family really had connections.

He then said, "It's good that you're not afraid. Then I'll pass on a message for you. How about this, or you can come back in a couple of days and just knock on my door. I stay home with the kids and don't usually go out."

"Thank you, big sister."

"No need, no need. This house is fine. The old man was a very capable man when he was alive. His yard was very tidy, and it was the most spacious among all our houses. Besides, you don't need to be shy. The old man passed away in the hospital, and the house is clean."

The older woman saw Bai Jiaojiao and Shen Heng out of the alley, saying, "The children are cold, I'll take them home first, please take care."

"Okay, thank you for your help."

Bai Jiaojiao, pulling on Shen Heng, quickened her pace: "Brother Heng, don't you think this is God helping us? We just happened to run into this opportunity! I thought we would definitely have to rent a place for a while, or go to a neighborhood further away."

Shen Heng said, "Yes, this house is like it was tailor-made for us. Others wouldn't dare to buy it easily, so we'll try to negotiate a lower price later."

"Yes, we should at least cut it down by 20%, right? Next time we run into Aunt Qin, we should ask her about the market here. If we know the market, we'll negotiate down to the absolute bottom!"

Bai Jiaojiao was also very excited. They might not have any income until the policy changes next year, so saving money would be a huge benefit.

The two didn't linger there for long before going to the supply and marketing cooperative next to Yenching University to buy a bicycle, as Shen Heng had suggested.

Bicycles are a rarity in Shili Village, but in Yancheng, although they are in high demand, they are not scarce. Almost every family has one. If you can't afford one before getting married, your father-in-law won't even let you into his house.

The building next to Yenching University isn't called a supply and marketing cooperative; it's called a department store.

It's very big, with two floors.

The large items were all on the second floor. After the two went up, they saw four brand-new bicycles neatly lined up in the hardware section.

These days, what brand of bicycle you buy depends on your ticket. Before coming here, Shen Heng went to great lengths to find a Phoenix brand bicycle ticket, which is extremely rare. Even if you have the ticket, you might not be able to find one on the market; usually, you have to go through connections.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!