Chapter 526: House 2
"Speak." Jiang Manye stood up, looking as steady as a rock.
"When we moved in, this was an empty house. All the furniture in this house was made by Old Wu himself! They are all made of good wood and good styles!" Zhang A'mei's voice was a little trembling, but still firm.
"It's been more than 20 years, and the things are old and broken. I have money to buy new ones. I don't want this shabby house. You should move everything out." Jiang Manye knew that she was going to ask for money and would not be fooled by her at all.
Li Mingwei was about to persuade her when Jiang Manye gave him a look that said "Try to persuade someone", and he backed off again.
"No! Not for over twenty years. Although they weren't replaced all at once, Old Wu has had them remade over the past few years. He's a carpenter with excellent craftsmanship. Many people in our factory ask him to make things for them..."
Everything in my daughter's room is new and newly built. Look at the wardrobe and the desk! You... you have a child, right? He needs to study too! It's really great!"
Zhang A'mei was anxious.
Jiang Manye knew it, but she shook her head: "I don't want it, you move out."
"Well, I don't want much. I just want one hundred and fifty yuan for the wood. Is that okay?" Zhang A'mei offered a price.
Jiang Manye crossed her arms and shook her head: "Let's see if anyone wants it. I don't want it anyway."
Everyone present shook their heads. They didn't even want five dollars, let alone one hundred and fifty. Jiang Manye was not afraid, but they were a little scared. They only dared to go into the house to pack up because they were a group of people.
"One hundred and thirty!" Zhang A'mei started to lower the price.
Jiang Manye listened indifferently.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched them bargaining with great interest, whispering behind them:
"Actually, one hundred and thirty is fine. This room of furniture has more than forty-eight legs. If I buy new ones, it will cost at least seven or eight hundred yuan. If I buy used ones, it will cost at least two hundred yuan..."
"Haven't you heard anyone say that she's self-employed, rich, and can afford eight hundred. She doesn't want the old one."
"Yeah, everyone wants to use new things..."
Zhang A-mei gritted her teeth and said, "One hundred! If it's any lower, I'll move out and sell them outside the alley. Even if I can get ten yuan a piece, I can still get a hundred."
After hearing this, everyone started whispering, as if they thought it was a good deal.
"Thirty. If you get a penny more, you can move out and sell it. I wouldn't envy you even if you can sell it for a thousand dollars." Jiang Manye looked at Zhang Amei coldly.
Everyone whispered that thirty was too low and that Zhang A-mei would probably not agree.
Li Mingwei advised: "I think it's okay. You said it would be sold for ten yuan, but that's just what you wanted. Who would buy it?"
Wang Yong also said: "Exactly, who wouldn't recognize you in these streets and alleys? Who would buy your stuff? You think too highly of yourself."
Zhang A'mei's chest heaved violently, and she gritted her teeth and didn't speak for a long time.
"Move quickly! Don't try to delay. I don't want to move out even at 30." Jiang Manye urged.
Finally, Zhang A-mei said solemnly: "Okay, thirty is thirty! There is still fifty in the factory."
Li Mingwei replied, "Don't worry. Didn't I say I'd help deliver your stuff to the rented house? Once it's packed and the three of us sign, I'll give it to you."
Zhang A-mei picked and chose among the things for a long time, and finally only took the things in four snakeskin bags.
Some of the others belonged to Wu Jianguo and are no longer needed.
Some of them are Zhang Min’s things, which are all useless. The useful ones have been sent to her one after another.
There were also some things that were useful but not worth much. The small house could not hold so many things. It could only hold the things she carried with her and those she had to use.
Li Mingwei borrowed a tricycle from Uncle Li's house and put all the things she picked out into the truck bed.
Zhang A-mei walked slowly in the alley.
She first passed by Wang Yong's home, and Wang Yong's parents watched her leave through the crack in the iron gate.
Then they passed by the Lin family yard. There was no one in the yard because the adults were at work. Lin Dongzhe was not allowed to come back, so he followed Huang Ling and Xiaoting to the group office.
Then it was the Li family yard. Aunt Li and Xiaohu were still at Yang Qiuyan's parents' home.
Finally, there is Li’s convenience store.
The store is closed today, the doors are all shut, and Grandpa Li is not here.
Zhang A-mei felt a complex emotion:
Reluctance, panic, helplessness, frustration, and also anger.
Li Mingwei led the two men to the stone bench at the entrance of the alley, took out documents and an ink pad from his bag, and asked the two men to sign and put their fingerprints on it.
There is no need to hand in the keys because Zhang A-mei has not been able to change the lock on the door until today.
Li Mingwei took out a manila envelope and handed it to Zhang Amei:
"Here's the money, count it."
Zhang A-mei opened the envelope and counted the five wrinkled, slightly discolored bills with a special smell twice.
Jiang Manye also took out a handful of money from her pocket and counted out a ten-yuan bill, three five-yuan bills, and five one-yuan bills.
She held the money and said to Li Mingwei:
"Comrade Li, you are educated. Please write a receipt for me and ask her to sign it. Don't ask me to move furniture again tomorrow."
"No problem!" Li Mingwei agreed readily, and then quickly wrote a receipt.
Zhang A-mei signed and stamped her fingerprints on it, and Jiang Manye handed the money over.
"Here! Not a cent less."
This stack of money is different from the previous one. It has a colorful oily sheen and feels greasy.
Zhang A-mei put all the money into the envelope, then lifted a corner of her coat and stuffed the envelope into her pocket.
For an ordinary worker, this amount of money is half a month's salary, but for Zhang A-mei, it is all her savings.
"The formalities are ready, let's go!" Li Mingwei said.
"Comrade Li, I would also like to ask you to write a note for me. Please write it clearly." Zhang A'mei bit her lip and pleaded.
She invited Li Mingwei aside and said a few words. Li Mingwei nodded to show that he understood, then tore a piece of paper from the notebook and squatted beside the stone bench to write.
Zhang A'mei took the piece of paper and walked back to the Lin family's yard.
She folded the note twice and stuffed it between the cracks in the door. After trying it and finding it was tight enough not to fall off, she walked back.
Jiang Manye watched them leave.
The comrades from the security department were very responsible and told Jiang Manye to come to them if she had any problems. Jiang Manye asked them to wait a while and take some pork away, but they refused to take it and left first.
There were still a lot of debris in the yard. Jiang Manye called out to the people who had just helped:
"Everyone, wait here for me. I'll go get the pork. Then, take whatever you like in the yard. I'll take care of the rest."
Everyone looked at each other and advised her: "There are some you can use."
"It's okay, I'll buy it slowly, you guys take it first, you're welcome!"
Who wouldn't want to take advantage of a bargain? These people happily rummaged through the jars. If they didn't want to drink the water, they could use it to water the vegetable garden. If that didn't work, they could even use it as a urinal!
Only after Jiang Manye went to get the pork did these people start talking.
"Comrade Jiang is amazing!"
"That's the pork business in the market."
"Her husband is a technician in the factory and is well-educated."
"Really? No way..."
"Hey, you guys are really something. How can you criticize others after taking their things? And now you even have the nerve to take pork!"
"Ah, no, no, we were just talking."
“…”
Jiang Manye really loaded the meat over on a tricycle, and everyone got a big piece of meat. Now they found this fierce female comrade particularly pleasing to the eye, and several aunts started calling her "Man'e Man'e".
Jiang Manye gave Wang Yong a piece as well, and he said excitedly:
"Finally, we've sent that plague away! With you and Mr. Fan living in this alley, ours is becoming more and more upscale! You know, there are college students from our alley! Your children will definitely become college students in the future!"
"Thank you for your good wishes! You are such a nice person!" Jiang Manye gave Wang Yong another piece of pork belly.
Wang Yong was even happier at this: "I really should have gotten an extra piece! I was the one who pushed for this to happen in the first place!"
"Thank you, thank you!" Jiang Manye glanced at him and thanked him without changing her expression.
Jiang Manye called Fan Shilei, and spent the whole day cleaning the house with the help of her neighbors.
It was almost time to get off work, so she went to the factory gate to pick up Fan Shilei.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
