The day before moving into the new home.
After having morning tea, the family walked to Dudu Garden Community to air out their quilts. They rode bicycles around the neighborhood to familiarize themselves with the environment. If they got lost, they would ask the shop owners for directions. After a day of this, even Xia Minmin, who is terrible with directions, became familiar with the area around her home.
In a few days, Xia Jianguo will be going back to his hometown to transfer his household registration. Li Chunmei bought a lot of things for Xia Jianguo to take back to his maternal grandparents and Li Zhonghua's family.
I also bought a rolling suitcase, which is more convenient than a handbag and can hold a lot of things.
The family returned to the guesthouse after making their beds. They had to get up early the next day, so Li Chunmei arranged a check-in ceremony at an auspicious time.
Just at five o'clock, Xia Minmin and her family walked to Dudu Garden Community. There were only sanitation workers and breakfast shops open on the road.
After all the ceremonies were over, everyone took a nap and then ate steamed buns and rice noodles outside the residential area.
Today, the Xia family will officially start cooking, which will save them a lot of money. They've been eating out every day for the past few days and have spent a lot of money. The business is still unresolved, and although they have some money at home, they can't just sit around and do nothing.
Xia Xiaomei rode her bicycle with Xia Minmin to the market to buy groceries. They were familiar with this route several times, but this was the first time they had gone out alone.
"Auntie, are you nervous?" Xia Minmin asked.
"Do you think I'm like you? I'm not a child, why would I be nervous?"
Xia Minmin saw through Xia Xiaomei's pretense with a single stroke, "Auntie, if your voice didn't tremble, you'd be more believable."
Meanwhile, Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei were at home waiting for the sales office to deliver a refrigerator and three floor fans.
"Jianguo, have you bought your round-trip tickets yet?" Li Chunmei asked.
"I've bought it. It'll be ready in three days. I'll stay home for three days."
"Jianguo, are you planning to tell everyone about our lottery win when you go back this time?"
“I’m conflicted. I don’t know whether I should say it or not, but if I don’t, they’ll definitely speculate behind my back about why we have the money to transfer our household registration. In our village so far, apart from transferring household registration for marriage, only Xia Weihong has ever transferred her household registration. Have you heard of Xia Weihong?”
"I've heard of it, but I've never seen it."
“He went out to work with his brother-in-law in the 1980s. Later, he started his own factory. It is said that he could earn more than 100,000 yuan a year in the 1980s. He was very successful. The people in the village committee wanted to drag him into the factory and arrange for their family members to work there, but he did not agree.”
"And then what?"
"Later, when the household registration policy was relaxed, he wanted to transfer his household registration, just like us. He had all the necessary documents, but the village committee kept delaying the stamping. In a fit of anger, he went to the county town to report them. In the end, his household registration was transferred, but the village committee was punished."
"it's over?"
"No, the two sides have already formed a grudge. On the night before the New Year's ancestral worship ceremony, his family's ancestral graves were dug up. His father was so angry about this that he died on the spot."
Didn't he call the police?
“They will definitely call the police, but without evidence, they can’t convict him. We privately speculate that it was done by people in the village committee. After that, he took his mother and moved away from the village, and never came back.”
"Well, it's hard to say. We're not as complicated as Xia Weihong. You take a newspaper with Shenzhen housing prices back with you and say that we bought a house in Shenzhen after winning the lottery, and that we've already spent all the money."
"At most, they just want us to bring people out to work. There are plenty of factories in Shenzhen, not many others."
“They won’t dare to do anything to you if you go back alone. Besides, if you don’t come back on time, I’ll call my brother and ask him to come and rescue you.”
"I don't think it will be that serious."
Just in case!
"Okay, it's settled then. Shall we take the bus to a few wholesale markets tomorrow? And while we're at it, take Xiaomin to the bookstore to buy some books and toys? I think she's already finished reading all the books I bought for her before."
"We need to buy some books and toys, and once she's familiar with the neighborhood, we'll see if we can find a teacher to guide her learning. Staying home all the time might hinder her progress."
thump thump thump…
"Mr. Xia, this is Xiao Liu from the sales office, here to deliver your home appliances." A familiar voice sounded from outside the door.
"They're here."
Xia Jianguo went to open the door, and Li Chunmei got up and brought over the teacup, preparing to pour tea for them.
"Mr. Xia, are you checking in today?"
"Um."
"The refrigerator and floor fan were delivered just in time. We wish you and your family a pleasant stay."
"Thank you, please have some tea. Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome. We're mutually beneficial."
After the refrigerator was installed, Xiao Liu left with the workers.
Xia Minmin and Xia Xiaomei's first solo grocery shopping trip was completed with some bumps along the way.
Xia Xiaomei initially planned to buy vegetables from the elderly people who set up stalls outside the market, but due to the language barrier, she could only buy vegetables from the larger stalls inside the market.
"Mom and Dad, Auntie and I are back!" Xia Minmin's knocking sounded at the door.
Li Chunmei opened the door. "Keep your voice down. Didn't you bring your keys with you today? Why don't you open the door yourself?"
"Mom, look at my height. Do I look like I can open the door?" Xia Minmin gestured to indicate the distance.
"Where's your aunt?" Li Chunmei didn't see Xia Xiaomei.
"I locked the bike at the back, then ran back first. Dad's not home?"
“He’s at home. The sales office gave us three floor fans, and your dad is looking for a place to put them.”
The sound of a door opening rang out.
Xia Xiaomei returned, panting heavily. "Second Sister-in-law, is Xiaomin back?"
Li Chunmei comforted her, "Don't worry, have some water and calm down. She just ran back. She won't have any serious problems in the neighborhood, so don't worry!"
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com