Chapter 95 Family Meeting: Honoring the Heroes, Spending Money, Spending Money, Spending Money...
"What did you say? Aunt Yu is pregnant?!"
This news was so unexpected that Chen Mian hadn't even swallowed the noodles in her mouth before asking the question in a slurred voice.
She was only gone for a day, and her mother and Aunt Yu managed to do so much; they almost bought the house.
Chen Muhe, who was quietly eating noodles, also thought she had misheard and looked up in confusion to confirm.
"What's wrong with that?" Lin Huijun didn't even look up, continuing to peel the walnuts in her hands.
“Your Aunt Yu is in good health, and she’s only 45 years old this year. In the past, there were people in the next county who had a son when they were over 50.”
Chen Mian felt her brain wasn't quite working properly. "Over fifty years old, from the next county, Mom, how did you know that?"
Lin Huijun placed the peeled walnuts on a plate and casually said, "Back then, we didn't have much entertainment, so we just chatted."
You tell me, I tell her, and before long, everyone knows.
“This is all normal; the addition of a new member to the family is a joyous occasion.” Lin Huijun’s eyes were full of tenderness.
She didn't care about worldly opinions; she only felt joy and blessings for her friend's pregnancy.
Chen Mian was glad that she was getting married next month, and her five-month pregnancy wasn't too big yet, so ordinary clothes could cover it up.
Otherwise, Yu Xiaoyue might end up like that poor woman from the next county, becoming the talk of the neighborhood.
After confirming that Aunt Yu was alright, Chen Mian's anxiety gradually subsided, and she then inquired about the house.
When talking about the villa she visited today, Lin Huijun seemed to open a floodgate of words, vividly recounting everything that happened that day.
Lin Huijun stopped peeling the walnuts in her hand: "You guys don't know, that villa is really luxurious, just like in the movies, they even have butlers."
"I just don't understand why they would suddenly want to sell this perfectly good house, and why they would insist on selling it to a middle-aged woman with children."
"Your Aunt Yu took a liking to it at first sight, but she was so angry about this ridiculous request that she ended up in the hospital." Lin Huijun didn't understand feng shui; she just found the whole thing strange.
Chen Mian also felt that the sale of this house was somewhat strange.
“If you ask me, now is the perfect time to negotiate a lower price,” Chen Muhe suddenly said, pointing out the crux of the matter.
"We're buying a house, not a story. No matter how fascinating the story inside the house is, what does it have to do with us?"
After finishing her noodles, Chen Muhe put down her chopsticks, took a napkin from the paper tube on the table, tore off half of it and handed it to her sister, keeping the other half for herself.
“With the rapid development of the national economy in recent years, ordinary people have more money and want to move to the city to enjoy a better life,” Chen Muhe concluded. “Houses will only become more and more expensive in the future. If the price is right, I would suggest that our family buy one as well.”
After listening to her sister's words, Chen Mian silently did some mental calculations.
She only has a little over 300,000 yuan in her hands right now, and a house of this quality would cost at least 200,000 yuan to buy.
Including the car and TV I originally planned to buy, the total cost would be around 100,000 yuan.
Chen Mian felt a pang of regret: "How about we postpone buying the house for now?"
"Besides, Aunt Yu has also taken a liking to this house, so let's let her have it. We can buy it again next year when we have more money after the peaches are sold."
"We live quite comfortably in the little courtyard we built ourselves." Although she said this, Chen Mian still felt a little regretful.
That's a three-story villa, how impressive it is!
It is said that no one knows a daughter better than her mother, and Lin Huijun saw through her daughter's true thoughts at a glance. "My silly daughter, do you really think your Aunt Yu wants to buy a house for herself?"
"She's showing you and Ji Yu your wedding room. You two will be living there eventually."
Chen Mian doesn't think she needs a wedding house: "I still want to continue living with my parents, and Ji Yu has also agreed to live with us after we get married."
Hearing her daughter's words, Lin Huijun felt a surge of warmth in her heart. "You young people have your own little families after you get married, why do you always live with your parents?"
"Besides, Ji Yu works in the city, so it's more convenient for you to live there..."
Chen Mian said nothing more, but lowered her head and tore the napkin in her hand into small pieces, then twisted them into tight strips.
She didn't like what her mother said, as if it was an implicit assumption that a woman should prioritize her husband's needs after marriage.
It's true that Ji Yu works in the city, but she also has her own peach orchard and restaurant to take care of. Why should she be expected to accommodate the other party?
Chen Muhe didn't say anything about her mother's views; each generation has its own ideas and perspectives.
Just as the atmosphere inside the house reached a stalemate, there was a sudden knock on the door.
"Who is it, knocking on the door so late?" Lin Huijun got up and walked outside.
“It’s me, Mom.”
Chen Mubai, dressed in a dark green military uniform, stood outside the door carrying large and small bags.
"Big brother?"
"Brother, you're back!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Chen Mian and her sister ran to the door to greet their brother whom they hadn't seen in a long time.
Lin Huijun looked at her son with surprise, "Mubai, why did you suddenly come back?"
"You didn't even tell your family beforehand so we could have picked you up. It's so dark outside, how did you get home alone?"
Chen Mubai picked up the package from the ground and came in with a relaxed smile. "The corps' transfer order came suddenly, so I didn't tell you. I was thinking of giving you a surprise."
"It's not far away, and luckily a car gave me a ride."
Chen Mian repeated, "Transfer order?"
“Yes, I’ve been transferred to the Production and Construction Corps in Wumu City, and I can go home every week.” Seeing that his family’s reaction wasn’t great, Chen Mubai quietly added, “From now on, I’ll only be responsible for daily training and won’t have to go to the battlefield anymore.”
"Really? That's great!"
Chen Mian and her sister said in unison, each grabbing one of their brother's arms and shaking them.
Upon hearing this, Lin Huijun covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes filled with tears.
That's great! I won't have to worry about my son anymore.
Of the five family members, three women were excited, while only Chen Yongliang exchanged a subtle glance with his son and silently breathed a sigh of relief.
It is said that when one person joins the army, the whole family is honored, but only the family members know how much blood and tears are behind this honor.
They were already very content that Chen Mubai was able to retire from the front lines in good health.
It was getting late, and the family had just reunited. Thinking that Chen Mubai had been traveling a long way, they ate a simple bowl of noodles and urged him to go and rest.
The next day.
The Chen family held its fifty-second family meeting.
Meeting location: Living room.
Attendees included: Chen Yongliang, leader of the Logistics Department; Lin Huijun, leader of the Design Department; Chen Mian, leader of the Catering Department; Chen Muhe, leader of the Agriculture Department; and Chen Mubai, the newly returned leader of the Department of Older Singles.
The main content of this meeting consists of the following three parts:
First, congratulations to all family members on their recent outstanding achievements, and we encourage them to continue their efforts.
Among them, Kapok Peach Garden ranked first with an income of 300,000. It is gratifying that Chen Mubai was transferred back to Wumu City. Chen Muhe also maintained his consistent excellence and was directly assigned to work in the Agricultural Bureau after graduation.
Second, the Chen family received a large sum of money and needed to reward the whole family for their hard work throughout the year through some spending.
Logistics Department leader Chen Yongliang proposed: "Purchase a pickup truck for convenient travel and cargo hauling, with a budget of 80,000 yuan."
If you're on a tight budget, you can buy a second-hand one for 50,000 yuan.
In response, Lin Huijun, the leader of the design department, and Chen Muhe, the leader of the Ministry of Agriculture, both stated that buying a car is a basic necessity and must be met.
Chen Mian, the head of the catering department, proposed: "Purchase a television and a washing machine, with a budget of six thousand yuan."
The rationale is that with increased revenue, entertainment activities should also keep pace, freeing up surplus labor to be devoted to more meaningful work.
The above proposal was passed unanimously.
Chen Muhe, a leader from the Ministry of Agriculture, said: "We must seize the opportunities of this era and buy houses, buy houses, and buy houses again! The budget is 200,000 yuan."
Lin Huijun was a bit overwhelmed: "We have three children, so we need to buy three houses. After deducting the reserve fund, we'll only have about 200,000 yuan left. How are we going to divide it?"
Chen Mubai was the first to withdraw, saying that the army has dormitories and will allocate rooms in the future, so there is no need to buy one.
Chen Muhe: "My workplace might offer subsidized housing, which is much cheaper than the market price. Besides, my sister is getting married soon, so I'll buy one for her first."
Chen Mian disagreed: "If you put it that way, Ji Yu's family will definitely prepare a wedding house, so I won't need to buy one."
As soon as he said this, the whole family disagreed.
"How can that be the same? On the surface, it's just the two of you getting married, but in reality, it's a contest between two families."
"It was one thing that we couldn't afford it before, but now that we have money, how can we let you be outdone? Others have dowries, you need to have a bride price too."
The head of the family, Lin Huijun, made the decision: "It's settled then. We'll buy it for Mianmian first this year, and postpone the other two."
Third, someone has been in the military for almost nine years, and it's time for him to find a partner.
The person who was suddenly called out touched his nose guiltily: "Well, I'm usually too busy with work, no rush."
Lin Huijun gave a stern warning: "Marriage is a matter of utmost importance, Comrade Chen Mubai. You must first correct your attitude."
Chen Mubai put down the half-eaten peach in his hand, wiped his mouth, and sat down obediently.
Chen Mian and her younger sister watched the play together, rarely seeing their older brother in such a sorry state.
“Mu Bai isn’t that old, he’s only twenty-five this year, now is the perfect time for him to start looking.” Chen Yongliang poured his wife a glass of water and smiled as he smoothed things over.
Lin Huijun said that her focus for the next year will be finding suitable marriage partners for her son and daughter.
Upon hearing this, Chen Muhe pointed to herself in shock: "Do I have to be included? I'm really still young, I just graduated."
Lin Huijun: "Where are you small? You and your sister are the same age. Your sister might even have a baby next year."
The old mother's reprimand was like a boomerang, piercing Chen Mubai, Chen Muhe, and then Chen Mumian.
To prevent the damage from worsening, Chen Mian, after much painful reflection, decided to step forward.
Sacrifice her for the happiness of the whole family.
"Mom, since everyone's here today, let's discuss the wedding details one more time..."
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