Chapter 120 Exclusive House Purchase on Jinjiang
"How could this be?" Tong Dahua felt like her whole world had been turned upside down. "Isn't Old Zhang afraid that woman is after his money?"
Aunt Liu rolled her eyes at her speechlessly: "The way you're talking, even a fool would know he's after money. Otherwise, what young girl would be interested in such a lousy old man? One of them is after money, and the other is after good looks. It's all very obvious."
"That makes sense. Isn't Old Zhang afraid that the girl will run off with his money?"
"He thinks he's so great now that he's rich. He figures it's no loss that he's slept with them. If one leaves, there's always another. With money in his hands, there are plenty of girls throwing themselves at him."
Upon hearing this, Tong Dahua couldn't help but frown, her face showing obvious discomfort.
Aunt Liu, however, had seen it all before. Her husband worked on construction sites and encountered similar situations many times.
Almost every big boss has one or even several mistresses. Some of them have even had children with the big boss. Some of the wives know about it, but they can't control their men and can only turn a blind eye. There are even cases where the wife and the mistress play mahjong together.
There are also big bosses from the south who have one family here and another in their hometown; it's not uncommon for them.
In Qing Province, such matters are still quite taboo, and are generally kept hidden. In the south, however, it's much more open, and there are even villages with mistresses.
When Aunt Liu first heard it, she was so shocked that she couldn't come to her senses for a long time.
She would occasionally work alongside her husband to prevent him from being seduced by some other woman.
She also bribed the people around her husband, so that they had to report to her about any little thing, and she was suspicious all the time.
However, she later realized that if a man truly had designs on another, she couldn't stop him.
Therefore, she kept a tight grip on all the money in the house, determined not to end up losing both her money and her life.
Seeing the chaos in the village now, although it's hard to put into words, no one is as disoriented as Tong Dahua.
"That old Zhang is a real scoundrel!" Tong Dahua, who was usually mild-mannered, couldn't help but curse.
"Old Zhang's situation is still consensual, but Yang Laosi's family is really outrageous; they're getting a divorce right now."
"Huh? You mean Li Guihua's family?"
"Yes, it's their family. Yang Laosi's family was dirt poor back then. Their house was built with the help of Li Guihua's family. Now that the land has been demolished, he doesn't want to give Li Guihua a single penny and even wants a divorce. He says Li Guihua can't give him a son, so he wants to divorce her and find another woman to have a son!"
Tong Dahua felt that she hadn't just been away from the village for a few days, but for several years, so how could so many outrageous things have happened?
Actually, when the demolition was confirmed, many families had already caused various troubles. Tong Dahua spent most of her time running her shop in town, so she didn't know much about it.
At that time, we hadn't received the money yet, so we just made a fuss at home.
But now that the money has been disbursed, all sorts of problems have surfaced.
Tong Dahua couldn't understand why, when everyone had survived poverty, there were so many conflicts now that they were rich.
Aunt Liu also told Tong Dahua a lot about what was happening in the village, and finally sighed:
“You’re all doing well staying in town, but you can’t stay in the village anymore. I was originally thinking of staying in the village a little longer, but Xinghua Village will be gone soon, and I’m really reluctant to leave. But judging from the way things are going, with all the noise and commotion, it’s better to leave as soon as possible.”
Tong Dahua originally felt reluctant to leave the place where she had lived for most of her life in such a hurry, but seeing the mess in the village, she eventually gave up on that idea.
"I came back this time to pack up and move."
Aunt Liu: "Are you planning to stay in town?"
Tong Dahua shook her head: "Let's go straight to the provincial capital."
"Huh? You're closing down your business in town?"
“I’m not doing it anymore. My niece said that with so much money in our hands, we’re too easy to be targeted. You know what kind of situation my family is in. So I’m thinking of going directly to the provincial capital and staying with my eldest niece.”
Tong Dahua cautiously glanced outside and whispered:
“All of my family’s money has been used to buy houses. We have shops and houses, which we will rent out in the future. My eldest niece said that it’s best not to hoard money, because inflation will make money worthless, so it’s better to buy some houses. Now everyone is flocking to the city, unlike before when the government would provide houses. If you want to settle down in the city, you have to buy your own house, so houses will become more and more expensive. Even if prices don’t rise, you won’t lose money if you buy a house. Collecting rent is better than putting money in the bank to earn interest.”
Upon hearing this, Aunt Liu immediately slapped her thigh.
“You’re right, houses are getting more expensive every day, and the money we have is not what it was ten years ago. I have to quickly convert all my money into houses!”
Aunt Liu now trusts Su Ruyi even more. If she hadn't listened to her, their family's demolition compensation would have been halved.
She thought that if Tong Dahua went to the provincial capital, their relationship would become distant, and she would lose contact with Su Ruyi as well. That wouldn't do!
"Is there any housing or shops still available in the development your niece's boyfriend is building?"
"Yes, the building project is divided into three phases. The third phase has already been topped out. The first phase is sold out, and there are still a few units left in the second phase. The third phase will offer a much wider selection. As for the shops, my niece has already bought the entire commercial street, so only the shops in the large shopping malls are left, which are more expensive."
Tong Dahua did not hide anything from Aunt Liu, telling her that she had already bought houses in the second and third phases, and also bought two shops in a large shopping mall.
Su Ruyi actually recommended other promising properties, but Tong Dahua felt uneasy about them and bought the T property developed by Lu Ting instead.
Tong Dahua runs a business in town and is very well-informed. Some developers have run away, leaving behind a bunch of unfinished buildings that have ripped off people who paid in advance. Others are of very poor quality, practically shoddy construction.
Aunt Liu gasped upon hearing this, "Your eldest niece is truly capable!"
"Don't tell anyone else about this. I'm just telling you."
"I know, I know. Oh my, how can you have such a capable daughter? Da Hua, you've really finally reaped the rewards of your hard work. With your eldest niece leading the way, your family's life will definitely get better and better."
Tong Dahua also agrees with this point, never imagining that she would have such a life now.
In just a few short years, everything has changed dramatically.
All of this was brought about by Su Ruyi; otherwise, their family wouldn't have the good fortune they have today.
Tong Dahua also mentioned to Aunt Liu the matter of entrusting Su Ruyi to manage the house rental. "Old Zhang and I discussed it. Although we would get more money if we managed it ourselves, it would be troublesome. And if we encounter people who default on their debts, our family would have no way to deal with them. So we would rather pay some money to let my niece's company take care of these things."
Aunt Liu wasn't interested in this, after all, there were many men in her family, and her husband had formed his own team, so they were capable of collecting debts.
She doesn't have much to do normally, so running around a bit won't interfere with her work.
However, I still think that Tong Dahua's approach was correct; their family really shouldn't have gone to such lengths.
"Your eldest niece bought so many shops, aren't they all going to be rented out?"
Tong Dahua nodded and said, "Yes, it's already open for rent, and they've even advertised it on TV. I've also rented a shop there, and I'll open my business there from now on."
Tong Dahua joined Su Ruyi and Li Mei's braised food franchise and opened a store directly on the commercial street.
There are no franchisees here yet; Su Ruyi specially reserved a spot for them.
From the very beginning of the store location selection process, the franchisee of a braised food business will send a dedicated person to conduct an investigation. If the store location is not suitable, the franchisee will not be allowed to open a store haphazardly, thus ensuring the franchisee's interests.
Many people have money now, but they don't really have any business acumen. They just follow the trend when they come to join a franchise without thinking too much about it.
The head office will carefully plan for them, and each franchise store will be located at a certain distance from the target customer area before being allowed to open a store.
The franchise stores are gradually becoming profitable, and the best-performing one has already recouped its costs.
Television commercials quickly made "Sister Mei's" braised food famous, and since the taste was indeed good, the business has always been booming.
Every day, the company receives many calls from people hoping to cooperate and join as franchisees.
However, no spots have been released yet. It's not that Su Ruyi and Li Mei don't want to do this business, but rather that they are still looking for more suitable raw material suppliers.
As production expands, the original supply channels are no longer suitable for development, and it is necessary to find more stable and higher-quality suppliers.
It can be cheaper while ensuring product quality.
Xu Xiaonan is currently inspecting farms in various places, and will maintain the status quo until a new source of goods is found.
"Dahua, what do you think about me starting a small business?"
Aunt Liu has always stayed at home taking care of the elderly and children and farming. Now that the elderly are gone, the children are grown up, and the fields are gone, she can't just stay here like this, can she?
Although she had a lot of money, Aunt Liu was not one to sit idle.
She could go to the construction site with her husband to work, doing laundry and cooking for others, but Aunt Liu herself was not willing.
The conditions on the construction site were harsh; the living quarters were shacks that were cold in winter and hot in summer. Aunt Liu had worked hard for most of her life and didn't want to suffer like that when she had money.
"Of course it's great! You can make a lot of money doing business these days. Look at me, I can make money, so you're so capable, you definitely can too."
Tong Dahua thought to herself that Aunt Liu was hardworking and capable, and even better at dealing with people than she was.
"You can praise me, why are you looking down on yourself?" Aunt Liu rolled her eyes at her. "But what kind of business should I start? I have absolutely no idea."
"I really didn't know that; my niece arranged it all for me," Tong Dahua said, scratching her head sheepishly.
Aunt Liu sighed again, saying that Tong Dahua had a good niece who helped her run her business.
"I'll think about it carefully. When we go to buy a house tomorrow, if we put your niece's name on it, can we get a discount?"
Tong Dahua laughed and said, "Of course, I'll give you the phone number of the girl who greeted me later. She'll know I brought you here, so she'll definitely give you a discount."
Aunt Liu left happily, and when she got home, she told her husband about it.
Because of the demolition issue, Jiang Hong did not continue working and came back specifically to deal with it.
Jiang Hong was a worldly man; he had previously taken on some small jobs at Lu Ting's construction site.
Jiang Hong had a very high opinion of Lu Ting. He could clearly feel that Lu Ting's construction site management was stricter and the requirements were higher than those of other construction sites. However, Lu Ting was also the most generous in paying, settling accounts immediately after the work was completed without any delays.
Jiang Hong has visited many construction sites over the years, but there are very few like Lu Ting. He now has a lot of bad debts that he just can't collect.
However, because Lu Ting has his own construction team, there are fewer opportunities for cooperation.
As soon as Aunt Liu mentioned buying a house in Lu Ting's development, Jiang Hong immediately agreed.
As for Aunt Liu, who also wanted to open a shop and start a business, Jiang Hong hesitated.
What can you do?
“I saw the commercial street’s business advertisement on TV earlier. My niece, Tong Dahua, wants to create a food street on that commercial street. I was thinking, why don’t I set up a stall there too? I don’t need to rent a proper shop, just a small food cart will do.”
The Jiang family was well-off, so they bought a large color TV early on.
Aunt Liu's favorite TV station now is the Economic Channel. She likes watching the programs that Su Ruyi invested in, so she saw the advertisements Su Ruyi placed on it.
The main structure of the commercial street has been completed and is now in the leasing phase. Advertisements are being placed not only during the program but also throughout the day, resulting in a very strong promotional effort.
They also invested heavily in newspapers and local advertisements, spreading the word over a wide area.
It's not just about attracting businesses, but also about promoting the commercial street and letting everyone know about this shopping paradise early on.
Knowing she had no prior business experience and no one around to offer guidance, Aunt Liu decided to start with a small stall.
She trusted Su Ruyi completely, feeling that following her closely would definitely not lead to any mistakes.
Aunt Liu has some skills; selling snacks is no problem for her.
“It’s not like we’re short of money, why do you have to worry about these things? Our eldest son is getting on in years, and it’s time for him to find a partner. Once he gets married and has a grandson, you’ll have to help take care of him. Where will you find the time?”
Aunt Liu spat and said, "It's not even close to being settled yet. Even if we get married tomorrow, it'll still be a year before the baby is born. Besides, am I just supposed to stay home all the time?"
Jiang Hong quickly coaxed, "I'm just worried you'll work too hard."
“I used to take care of the elderly, raise several children, and farm the land. I managed all of that. How hard can it be to run a small business? Besides, if my stall can be established, Xiao Tao can also have something to do. She's not cut out for studying. She'll have to find work after graduating this year.”
When his youngest daughter was mentioned, Jiang Hong fell silent.
Jiang Xiaotao is still young, so she will definitely stay at home for a few years before considering marriage.
Now that the land is gone, it's not easy to find work, so it's good for her to do business with her mother.
Villagers don't look down on individual business owners like city dwellers do; they see it as a good thing as long as it makes money.
"Alright, you two go and give it a try first. Renting a shop doesn't cost much anyway."
"It costs absolutely nothing!" Aunt Liu said proudly.
Jiang Hong disagreed, saying, "They've helped us so much; we can't take advantage of them."
Aunt Liu slapped him on the back in an annoyance: "Do you think I'm that kind of person! I spent several thousand yuan to buy her a bunch of gold bracelets, and I was planning to give them to her next time we met. Why would I be greedy for such a small amount of money?"
The couple had planned to spend money to thank Su Ruyi beforehand. Since Jiang Hong and Su Ruyi had no connection, they asked Aunt Liu to handle it.
"Then why did you say it wouldn't cost money?"
"Because these stalls are rent-free for the first year! It's what the advertisement says. I asked Tong Dahua, and she said it's rent-free, but you have to pay management and sanitation fees, which only cost a few dozen yuan a year."
Jiang Hong usually spends all his time on the construction site and has no time to watch TV or go out for walks, so he doesn't know anything about these things.
"Wow, such a good thing actually happens! How do they make money from it?"
“They have a long-term vision. Once that area becomes bustling, they’ll be able to earn rent. And once that commercial district develops, their properties will be easier to sell.”
"That's true. Although there are quite a few people in that area, it's still considered the suburbs. I was wondering why so many people were buying houses there; it turns out there are so many tricks involved."
Jiang Hong works in this industry. Although he's just a small contractor, he knows a lot of things.
Since the bursting of the real estate bubble in Hainan Province, it has also affected the inland areas, and the real estate industry has been severely damaged.
Despite the fact that many houses are seeing price increases, many more new homes are experiencing a significant sales slump.
Lu Ting's properties, however, remained unaffected, with transactions continuing to be brisk, apparently due to other added value.
In bustling commercial areas, houses can maintain or even increase their value.
"I thought you knew, since you agreed to buy a house there so readily."
“I’ve been to that construction site. You wouldn’t believe how well it’s designed and how comfortable it is. There’s even a small garden, a chess and card room, and a sports field in the community! And the materials used are really solid, unlike some unscrupulous ones where the walls are as thin as paper and the steel bars are substandard. I’m afraid it will collapse in the future. I don’t dare to take on this kind of project. I’m afraid that if something goes wrong, it will implicate me.”
Aunt Liu had seen the design drawings shown on TV, which looked just like those from abroad, but since they weren't actual drawings, she was skeptical.
There are many cases of deception these days, and she wouldn't completely trust even Lu Ting.
"Is it really as good as the picture says?"
Jiang Hong nodded: "We'll go to the site tomorrow and see for ourselves. Although it's not fully completed yet, we can already get a general idea of what it's going to be like."
The villagers who went out to work with Jiang Hong also wanted to buy houses after they learned that Jiang Hong was going to buy one.
They trusted Jiang Hong a lot. When they received the money, they were persuaded by him to rebuild a bigger and better one, but now they have lost a lot of money.
So whatever Jiang Hong does now, they all follow suit.
Jiang Hong agreed. He always felt uneasy having so much money in his hands, especially with the recent farces in the village making him even more uneasy.
As soon as Jiang Hong and his group arrived at the sales office, Su Ruyi received a phone call.
The problem is that this group of people buys dozens of sets at a time, and they all say they're buying them for Su Ruyi, so we need to let her know.
Su Ruyi was surprised and delighted by the speed at which the people of Xinghua Village acted.
Phase III has the most houses, more than Phases I and II combined. Phases I and II had lower housing density and included facilities such as small gardens and sports fields. This was to allow people to see the landscaping design of the development more intuitively, thereby increasing its competitiveness and attracting buyers' desire to purchase.
Many residential communities still retain their previous style, without much attention to the living environment and reasonable design of houses. Lu Ting's property is undoubtedly a breath of fresh air, so even in a sluggish market, the sales volume is still quite considerable.
There are still many unsold houses in the third phase of the project. Lu Ting's second project is about to start construction, and he recently acquired the third plot of land and urgently needs to recoup his funds.
Su Ruyi happened to be nearby and took the initiative to go to the sales office to greet the group.
"Auntie, Uncle Jiang, thank you for your support. I'm hosting today, please do me the honor of joining us for a meal."
Aunt Liu quickly waved her hand: "How can you treat us? I've been wanting to treat you to a meal for a long time, but we haven't had the chance until now. This time, we have to treat you."
Jiang Hong also said, "That's right, if it weren't for you, where would we get so much money to buy a house? We have to pay for this meal."
Upon hearing this, the others understood what had happened and stepped forward to express their gratitude.
Seeing their resolute attitude, Su Ruyi didn't stand on ceremony any longer and offered to waive their property management fees for three years.
Although Su Ruyi did not participate in the development and construction, she still contributed a lot and was a major client and partner, so she had some authority.
Not to mention that everyone knows Su Ruyi is the boss's wife, so getting some small perks is no problem for her.
Aunt Liu lamented that she hadn't worn the big gold bracelet; she didn't know when she would see it again.
With Su Ruyi joining them, the group spent money even faster and bought several more sets beyond their original budget.
Some people simply handed over the house management to Su Ruyi and waited to receive their money.
Even those who intend to manage their properties themselves will collaborate with Su Ruyi, and will list their property information on Su Ruyi's property rental shop in the future.
Aunt Liu rented a small stall at the sales office.
I had only seen food carts on TV before, but now I've seen them in person.
"This little food cart is really well designed. It doesn't look big on TV, but it can actually hold quite a lot." Aunt Liu was very interested in the little food cart.
Although the food cart is small, it has everything you need, and you don't have to worry about getting wet in wind or rain.
Finally, at Su Ruyi's suggestion, Aunt Liu rented two stalls, one a food cart and the other a newsstand, which were next to each other.
The newsstand sells all kinds of magazines and newspapers, as well as some snacks, drinks, and so on. In the summer, they can also buy a freezer to sell ice cream.
Su Ruyi had originally planned to have Tong Dahua do this, but Tong Dahua was more interested in opening a franchised braised food shop.
Newspaper kiosks require relatively little investment and have low risk, but their returns are far lower than those of braised food shops.
Tong Dahua is used to selling braised food, so she still wants to continue doing what she used to do.
Aunt Liu immediately agreed, saying that Jiang Xiaotao could guard the newsstand, as she liked reading magazines and newspapers and knew what to sell.
Keeping watch at a newsstand is more respectable and leisurely than working at a food stall.
The commercial street's leasing efforts are in full swing, while Su Ruyi has entrusted Wang Huiting with the operation and planning of the food street.
Wang Huiting had a mental image of the local delicacies even before she was in the provincial capital, and now that she has been there for so long, she knows them even better.
This task is best left to her; she is responsible for attracting vendors who are good at making snacks and getting them to set up stalls and open shops here.
Wang Huiting didn't neglect the clothing store either.
However, she only needs to go to the south once a month to purchase goods, essentially acting as a buyer, and she doesn't get involved in anything else.
Therefore, she has a lot of free time, which she can use to do another thing she really enjoys: finding delicious food.
Wang Huiting was naturally good at dealing with people, and after honing her skills in the clothing store for so long, she was able to attract quite a few merchants to join her business.
Su Ruyi went to the TV station and handed a program proposal to Liu Quan.
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