Chapter 4 004 Changing Houses
The neighboring No. 2 courtyard and their No. 3 courtyard had the same layout. Guan Yuehe went out to look at the layout of the left side room of her own courtyard.
The left wing room was nearly 30 square meters in size. To solve the housing problem for its employees, the car factory would divide some of the left wing rooms in the compound into two or even three rooms and distribute them to three families, mainly employees with small families. If a shed were built in the open space between the left wing room and the side room, an extra small room could be created.
The adjacent left-hand room is currently occupied by a family of four. The husband, Xie Zhenhua, is a junior high school Chinese teacher and also Guan Aiguo's homeroom teacher. The wife, Liu Axiu, is a workshop foreman at the Wuxing Automobile Factory. The couple has been married for six years and has only one child, Tingting, who is about the same age as Jingjing, also two years old.
Two years ago, Liu Axiu's mother-in-law, Aunt Niu, came from the countryside, saying that the couple were busy with work, so she came specifically to help them with housework.
When they moved in, Liu Axiu was not yet the group leader, Tingting had not yet given birth, and Xie Zhenhua was not an employee of the car factory. Logically speaking, it was impossible for Liu Axiu and Xie Zhenhua to be allocated the entire left side room.
However, it took several changes to finally get the house that Xie Zhenhua's work unit allocated to him.
It's not uncommon for employees to exchange houses. Even if they're not from the same company, the property rights still belong to the factory. But once the house is allocated to an employee, whether the employee rents it out or exchanges it with someone else, as long as they reach an agreement privately, the factory turns a blind eye.
When Guan Yuehe first heard about "changing rooms," her immediate reaction was to disagree.
Moving from an apartment building to a bungalow in a large courtyard is no different from falling from the top of a mountain to the bottom.
Living in a traditional courtyard house means fewer toilets and fierce competition. At least apartment buildings have one public toilet per floor, so the queues aren't too long.
In addition, each household in the building has a bathroom, which is a great advantage for her, a person who loves cleanliness.
But then she heard that her 18-square-meter apartment could be exchanged for a 30-square-meter bungalow? And with the small additional room that was built on top, it would be more than 30 square meters.
Guan Yuehe thinks that changing houses is something to consider!
She said she was considering it, but while looking at the adjacent left wing room, she had already come up with a plan: the half-room that could be built could be used as a bathroom, and she asked her father to see if it was feasible. Of the remaining two rooms, one would be her bedroom, and the other would be partitioned off, with the front two-thirds used as a living room and the back as a kitchen!
Is the toilet crowded in the morning?
Minor issue!
Courtyard No. 2 is close to the entrance of the alley, so she can just run faster in the morning!
No, that's not right. Why would she want to squeeze into the toilet with everyone else? She doesn't need to rush to work early! It only takes about ten minutes to walk from Compound No. 2 to Zhuoyue Garment Factory, and even faster by bicycle.
Good, this room can be exchanged!
She stood happily at the door for a while, then turned back to the living room and found that her parents were not very happy.
Guan Canghai rarely took out a cigarette to smell, and the cigarette holder was placed on the cabinet next to the sofa.
He muttered, "A single-story house is nowhere near as good as an apartment building."
Jiang Guiying is the most conflicted one. At first, she thought it was good that her daughter lived nearby, and the new house was even bigger, but now she has other considerations.
“Your dad is right. Living in an apartment building is better than living in a bungalow. It’s cleaner, more convenient, and more respectable.”
Guan Yuehe thought to herself that her parents just felt that living in an apartment building made them look more prestigious.
Jiang Guiying added, "Don't underestimate this small apartment now. After you get married... find someone who works in a factory. If you're both employed, you can apply for a bigger apartment. If the man also gets an apartment, it will be even easier for you to move."
Although my second daughter is still young and there's no rush for her to find a partner or get married, we need to think long-term.
"Also, they said that the two and a half rooms in the second courtyard are a total of 33 square meters. The extra half room was built with bricks and people. It's a loss for you to exchange it for an 18-square-meter house. You have to give them an extra 200 yuan."
"Do we have to pay more?" Guan Yuehe pouted. She knew it! Where in the world is there such a great deal as exchanging 18 square meters for 33 square meters?
No matter how impressive a building may be, it still needs to be practical.
When it came to money, Guan Yuehe became somewhat reluctant.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Guan Canghai secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, the second daughter is very careful with money; she definitely wouldn't agree to give money away.
Jiang Guiying became worried again.
It will be several years before my second daughter finds a boyfriend and gets married. Who can predict the future? If we miss this opportunity to change houses, we may never be able to do so again. For the sake of a decent 18-square-meter apartment, it's better to have a more practical 33-square-meter one.
Then he thought about his own family situation. Although they were living a good life, none of them had the qualities to be cadres. What was the point of such a respectable life that couldn't be put to eat?
While Jiang Guiying was struggling with her inner conflict, Guan Yuehe was already planning her secret stash of money.
Guan Yuehe started working at Zhuoyue Garment Factory before she was sixteen. For the first six months, she was a temporary worker, which was also the factory's early stage, and her salary was only ten yuan. At that time, the family did not have the concept of paying living expenses per person, so Guan Yuehe, like her older brother and sister, handed over her salary and received two yuan a month. She did not save any money during those six months.
When Guan Yuehe became a permanent employee and moved into the factory dormitory, her older siblings all wanted to receive more living expenses. Guan Canghai then decided to "separate the family" ahead of schedule, allowing them to pay living expenses for the family based on the number of people in the household, while keeping the remaining wages for themselves. Guan Yuehe's savings gradually increased.
She spends most of her daily expenses on food, and she is particularly generous in replenishing herself with oil and fat, transforming herself from a skinny little girl when she entered the factory into a healthy and vibrant young woman.
As for what she wears? She works in a garment factory, so it's not difficult for her to buy defective clothes or fabric. They're cheaper than outside, and she can save on fabric coupons.
Aside from other expenses, she had a full five hundred yuan in savings in her bank account.
However, she first inquired about the situation of the two people who wanted to switch rooms.
"The second son and daughter-in-law of Director Ma of the neighborhood office want to live in an apartment building. Grandpa Ma, who lives in the left wing of No. 2 courtyard, is a distant relative of Director Ma. They have already reached an agreement with Grandpa Ma to exchange houses. The left wing of No. 2 courtyard is now theirs, and they are just waiting to exchange their bungalow for an apartment building."
"From what I heard from Ma Lao Er's wife, they're not just swapping with you, they've found other people too. So the two apartments will be perfect for Director Ma's two sons to divide."
“They initially wanted to buy it with money, but your dad and I didn’t agree. Later they changed their minds and said they wanted to buy a different house.”
Guan Yuehe gritted her teeth and finally made up her mind. With her eyes tightly closed, she quickly said, "Mom, I agree to change houses. Can you help me negotiate the price down and reduce the amount I have to pay?"
Guan Canghai and Jiang Guiying were both taken aback, thinking she would go back and think about it for a few days.
Guan Canghai said anxiously, "No, Fourth Brother, think about it again carefully?"
"I don't want to think about it anymore, let's change!" Guan Yuehe made a "stop" gesture. "Dad, please don't say anything more, I'm afraid I'll waver again."
Jiang Guiying, fearing she might waver, quickly stood up and said, "It's settled then! I'll go talk to them right now!"
They went without hesitation, without a moment's delay.
Guan Canghai felt it was a pity, but he didn't interfere with his daughter's decision. He put the cigarettes back in the cigarette case, picked up the pipe, and sighed several times.
Guan Yuehe couldn't bear to see her father sighing and looking so distressed, so she immediately assigned him a task.
"Dad, could you take a look when you have time and see if the half-room that was built into the left side room can be converted into a bathroom? If we change rooms, do we need to get a certificate from the neighborhood committee or something?"
She had never paid attention to these things growing up, and was unclear about many rules and procedures. That's when her idle father had to come in handy.
Guan Canghai snorted twice, "We'll talk about it after we get the new house."
He had just told Lao Ming two days ago that his second daughter was also going to live in an apartment building, and his "boast" was blown away today.
—
Guan Yuehe hadn't forgotten why she came back today. "Didn't we all say we had to come home for dinner today? Where's my second brother?"
"Your older brother and sister-in-law went to deliver fish to your maternal grandparents and your sister-in-law's family. The fish were caught in the village. We'll stew fish with pickled cabbage for lunch."
When his second daughter was born, his second son had already been sent to live with his eldest brother. The siblings only saw each other four or five times a year, yet they had the closest relationship. It's quite puzzling.
Guan Yuehe said "oh" and then asked where her eldest sister had gone.
Guan Canghai was even more worried. "Where else could she have gone? On a date!" His eldest daughter came home last night and suddenly said she had a boyfriend, but wouldn't say who it was, saying she'd bring him home once the relationship was stable. His younger daughter, on the other hand, wanted to exchange their apartment for a bungalow...
Today, this pipe just doesn't feel right in my hand! It's so uncomfortable!
Guan Yuehe sighed along with her father: Comrade Gu Mannian, it's not that I don't want to help you...
"Yuehe! You didn't even look for me when you came back?" A round-faced girl with puffed-up cheeks appeared at the door, her resentful eyes practically piercing through Guan Yuehe.
Guan Canghai knew without looking up that Lin Sitian, who lived in the right side room, had arrived, and Xu Laosan (Xu Chengcai), who lived in the east wing of the front yard, would definitely follow.
The three of them, along with Ding Xuewen from the family living in the back house, grew up together since they were little.
The adults weren't necessarily on good terms, but the four younger siblings were as close as siblings.
Sure enough, a man appeared next to Lin Sitian. His hair was like tangled weeds, his eyes were dark, and his voice was weak and listless, making him sound even more resentful.
"Exactly! They're back but not looking for us anymore. Could it be that they're looking down on us now that they're living in an apartment building?"
Guan Yuehe insisted that she was wronged.
“Your sister-in-law said you weren’t home, and your door was locked. How am I supposed to find you?” Guan Yuehe then said to Xu Chengcai, “I greeted you at the canteen yesterday and the day before! You were in such a hurry to get to work that you didn’t even look up!”
Lin Sitian and Xu Chengcai: "..."
She was really wronged.
They exchanged a glance, then his expression changed, and he chuckled as he squeezed onto the sofa with her.
The sofa at home was small, so the two shamelessly said, "Uncle Guan, why don't you go for a walk?"
Guan Yuehe chimed in, "Dad, you should go out and play. There aren't enough seats on this sofa."
Guan Canghai: "......"
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