Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Father's Favoritism 28
Zhuozhuo didn't show any excitement. Instead, he was worried. "Zhao Hongwei, we can't buy a good house. We're too poor."
Zhao Hongwei smiled and nodded his burning little head. "What are the criteria for a good house?"
"Big! Beautiful! Zhuozhuo loves it!"
"So liking it is the most important thing. Zhuozhuo, Daddy will try to choose a house you like, okay?"
Zhuozhuo thought for a moment, then put his arm around Zhao Hongwei's neck and said softly, "Okay, thank you, Dad!"
After a busy morning, they looked at eight apartments. Their only consolation was that the agent had his own motorcycle, which whisked them around the streets of Hai City, saving them from heatstroke.
"Brother, don't you see any that you like? The ones I showed you today are all the best with similar conditions." The agent squatted on the ground and drank a bottle of mineral water, then asked Zhao Hongwei while panting.
Zhao Hongwei held a popsicle in his hand and let Zhuozhuo lick the melted sugar. He tilted his head to wipe the sweat off his face on his shoulder and said sincerely, "Brother, do you have any houses with yards at this price? Or even shops with housing?"
The agent waited for a moment, then, seeing Zhao Hongwei hadn't said anything else, asked in surprise, "Are you serious, brother? You really want to achieve great things with little money, don't you?"
"Who wouldn't think so?" Zhao Hongwei leaned over, tilted his head toward the real estate agent, and lowered his voice, "Brother, I saw a villa for sale in Ronghuayuan. It's not much more expensive than the three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment you showed me. What's the deal?"
He used his body to block the burning gaze, took out a cigarette box from his pocket and handed it to the agent, saying in a lower voice: "Brother, don't smoke now. My daughter can't stand the smell of cigarettes."
The agent took the cigarette and put it between his ears, scolding with a smile, "You kid, you've set your sights on the small villa. I have the key to that apartment, but I won't show you. It must be in trouble." His gaze fell on Zhuozhuo, and his tone softened. "You're a man with a daughter, and you've encountered many difficulties. Do you still have the energy to deal with hooligans who come to your house to cause trouble?"
At this point, anyone with good sense would have stopped asking. But Zhao Hongwei, still refusing to give up, thought of Zhuozhuo's eyes gleaming as he stared at the small villa. He whispered, "Brother, that villa is truly wonderful! Three stories with a large courtyard. It's all I can think of. Tell me what's going on. I'd like to see if I'm lucky enough to snag this bargain."
"Uncle, tell me."
A gurgling sound was heard from below, and the two of them lowered their heads to meet burning, curious gazes.
Zhao Hongwei turned around and saw that only the stick of the popsicle in his hand was left. His face darkened, "Did you bite it and eat it? I told you that eating ice will give you a stomachache..."
"Wait until it hurts!" Zhuozhuo interrupted Zhao Hongwei's muttering loudly.
"Okay, don't cry if it hurts."
"Just cry. Cry into your ear."
"I covered my ears and refused to listen."
Zhuozhuo hummed and said, "Pull your hand away."
"You're not as strong as I am."
Zhuozhuo sighed and said like a little adult, "Dad, please stop making trouble. Uncle is watching us."
Zhao Hongwei: “???”
Tell me clearly, who is making trouble?
The agent watched the father and daughter interact with curiosity. When they stopped arguing, he began to speak, "The current owner of that villa is Teacher Lu from the Second High School. She inherited it from her father, but the one who listed it for sale is her cousin."
Zhuozhuo was filled with questions, "Why can my cousin sell Teacher Lu's house?"
"Because Mr. Lu only had one daughter, Teacher Lu, and no sons, before he died, he said he wanted to leave the house to his nephew, on the condition that the nephew would take care of his funeral and pay tribute to him every year. But the nephew was a gambler and was in debt, so he wanted to sell the villa to fill the hole. Teacher Lu disagreed, so the nephew threatened to stop paying tribute to Mr. Lu, and Teacher Lu acquiesced. The villa was sold soon after it was put on the market, and when the ownership was transferred, it was discovered that the owner on the property certificate was Mr. Lu, and the nephew had nothing to do with it at all."
"Mr. Lu refused to cooperate with the property transfer, so the buyer demanded a refund. However, the nephew had already used the money to pay off his gambling debts and spent the rest, leaving him with no money to return. The buyer sued the nephew, and the judge ordered a refund. However, the nephew had no money and had lost his house and other things in gambling, so there was no way to enforce the claim, and the matter dragged on."
Buying the house from my nephew is pure deception, and I won't even get the title deed. If I go to Teacher Lu, regardless of whether she's willing to sell or at what price, even if she agrees to sell at the listed price, will the buyer dare to live in it? My nephew, a gambling addict, will definitely target me, and I won't be able to live in the house, and I'll be in trouble.
Zhao Hongwei gave up hope, as he really couldn't get this opportunity.
In the middle of gossip, the agent casually mentioned another, "In Qingheyuan in the north, there's an old man named He who had three sons. The youngest son went abroad to settle down, the second son became a son-in-law and even changed his surname. The eldest son thought he was partial and perfunctorily performed the annual worship ceremony, just to make him die of poverty and starvation down there... Alas, this person struggled all his life, and no matter how glorious he was in life, he was bound to have a miserable end after his death."
Zhao Hongwei: “…”
I felt a sense of immersion for some unknown reason.
After thanking the agent, Zhao Hongwei took Zhuozhuo back to the hotel.
Zhuozhuo wasn't worried about buying a house at all. She was running around with her bed sheet wrapped around her. Zhao Hongwei pressed his forehead to stop her. She looked up at him and said with concern, "Zhao Hongwei, you're unhappy. What's wrong?"
"Well, I've been thinking, in this life, we shouldn't just think about what's ahead of us, we should also plan for what's after we die," Zhao Hongwei sighed. The agent's words had finally affected him. It would be unbearable to entrust your affairs after death to the wrong person.
"Oh." Zhuozhuo seemed to understand, "What are your plans?"
Zhao Hongwei paused and said, "You can't count on Dabao. Dad will give you some younger brothers in the future and teach them to be filial to you and take care of you in your old age." Zhao Hongwei's nose felt sore. Just thinking about it made him worried. By then, he would have been a pile of bones. He would have no way to know whether Zhuozhuo was living a good life or not.
shining:"……"
Zhuozhuo asked carefully, "Zhao Hongwei, are you crying?"
"I didn't cry. I just got sand in my eyes." Zhao Hongwei quickly wiped away his tears. It was just his father being sentimental, and Zhuozhuo had seen it. If Zhuozhuo laughed at him, what expression and words should he put on to maintain his father's dignity?
Zhuozhuo didn't expose him, and was kind enough to help him cover up his lie, saying childishly: "Zhuozhuo blows it for you?"
"Blow it."
"call--"
Zhuozhuo pouted and exhaled, "Okay."
Zhao Hongwei: “…”
Why are you so perfunctory?
Zhuozhuo turned around and climbed onto the bed, staring intently at Zhao Hongwei. Seeing that his tears had stopped, he said in a childish voice, "Zhuozhuo doesn't want a brother to take care of him in his old age and see him to the end."
"What if your son is unfilial? Your younger brothers are your protection, they will make sure you live well in the underworld and be reborn into a good family in the next life." Zhao Hongwei said earnestly.
9972:[……]
This old feudalist is really infuriating. Zhuozhuo, ignore him.
Zhuozhuo glared at Zhao Hongwei, sulked for three seconds, and said, "I don't want a brother or a son! Good people are rewarded. Zhuozhuo does good things, and he will have a good life and be reborn into a good family. Don't rely on anyone!"
She spoke with great conviction, but in fact she didn't even understand what "living well down there" or "being born into a good family" meant.
Zhao Hongwei was suddenly inspired. "Be a great philanthropist? A great philanthropist will be worshipped by thousands of people. Isn't that much better than having one or two younger generations who are unreliable?"
His thoughts immediately opened up, and he muttered to himself, "I saw a blood donation vehicle today. I'm going to donate blood first, and then donate some money to the nursing home. No matter how small the kindness, it is worthwhile to do it."
Zhuozhuo looked at the weird Zhao Hongwei and had no desire to communicate. She was too sleepy to open her eyes, so she crawled under the blanket and went to sleep.
It wasn't until after four o'clock that Zhuozhuo finally woke up, and Zhao Hongwei saw that there was nothing he could do at that hour, so he took her to visit Grandma Zongzi. After learning that they were looking for a house, Grandma Zongzi said, "If you just need a place to stay, I know a few old houses for sale, but they're in the suburbs and a bit far away."
Grandma Zongzi was still wrapping zongzi, too busy to leave. Zhao Hongwei asked for her address and took Zhuozhuo there. When they arrived, they found a village near a wasteland. Almost everyone had moved out, leaving only two or three lights. The houses were dilapidated, and weeds covered the path. Suddenly, a rooster crowed and a dog barked, as if haunted.
Zhuozhuo hugged Zhao Hongwei's neck tightly, put his little face on his chest, and whispered, "Daddy..."
The child is afraid.
"Don't be afraid, we won't live here." Zhao Hongwei stood on a small hillock, flashlight raised, and gazed at the village and wasteland. Suddenly, a sense of disconnection struck him. Haishi was so well developed, the city bustling and bustling, the high-rise buildings filled with people, the small shops like pigeon coops, and the land resources were scarce and urgently needed for expansion. Why would such a large area be left unused?
He had a strong urge to take this place into his possession.
The sky was dark and suddenly there was a loud thunder. Zhao Hongwei went to cover her burning ears, only to find that she had fallen asleep again.
"Why do you sleep so much?"
Zhao Hongwei muttered something, wondering if the little guy was growing taller. He went back to the clinic to buy some calcium supplements. He placed Zhuozhuo in the bamboo basket, and raindrops as big as beans began to fall. Zhao Hongwei took off his shirt to cover the baby, then pedaled furiously in the pouring rain.
The heavy rain blurred the vision and blocked the light of the flashlight. The bicycle almost fell into the mud pit several times. Fortunately, Zhao Hongwei managed to stabilize it with his superb riding skills.
Zhuozhuo, tossed and turned in the bamboo basket like a dish being cooked, was woken by the impact. She looked up and called out, "Dad," but her voice was drowned out by the sound of the rain, and there was no response. So she climbed up the bamboo basket amidst the turbulence, pulled off the clothes covering it, threw them under her feet, and yelled, "Dad!"
Zhao Hongwei was walking uphill, and the smooth road lay beyond. He shuddered at the shouting, and quickly propped himself up with his legs to steady himself. He looked down at the little head that had emerged from the bamboo basket, "What's wrong?"
Zhuozhuo blinked, touched the wet bamboo basket, and looked at the starry sky. "The rain has stopped."
The rain in Hai City came and went quickly, leaving them drenched from start to finish, leaving them feeling miserable. Zhao Hongwei looked up, following Zhuozhuo's gaze. His irritation and unhappiness suddenly subsided. He said, "Zhuozhuo, some say that after death, people become stars in the sky. I, too, will become a star, watching over you."
Zhuozhuo said calmly, "Zhao Hongwei, Zhuozhuo will also turn into a star and watch over you from the sky."
"Little fool, Daddy will definitely die before you. The most you can do is turn into a star and hang in the sky with me."
"snort."
Zhuozhuo had a strange intuition in her heart that she would definitely turn into a star before Zhao Hongwei, but he wouldn't believe it even if she told him now. It would be better to wait until she was ready to turn into a star.
[Baby, the market economy will be open in a week.]
Before falling asleep, 9972 whispered something in Zhuozhuo's mind. It actually wanted to say that it had detected an unexplained weakness in Zhuozhuo's body, a sign of his detachment from the world. However, this time, the weakness was so mild compared to before that it was negligible. It didn't know what was going on; it felt strange.
Zhuo Zhuo's brain was so confused that he couldn't recall the plot that 9972 had only briefly mentioned once. He mumbled, "Ah, market economy, what does that mean?"
9972 said bluntly: [Zhao Hongwei is going to get rich. Well, you are going to get rich too.]
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