Shi Zhen had long planned to buy Guan Baiyu a house.
But he didn't have much money.
In his earlier years, he always took on projects, but he was always working for others. Not only was it hard work, but he also had to beg and plead with the other party to get the payment for the project quickly.
This business is done like a favor to a grandson.
He wanted to take on all the projects himself, but he didn't know how. He didn't even know he needed to register a company at first. He just brought a group of people and worked for this company today and that company tomorrow.
When he's almost finished with one job, if he hasn't gotten another one yet... he gets really anxious and has to run around everywhere, treating people to meals, trying to find a way to get the next job.
That's how he gradually built up his alcohol tolerance.
It was only in the last two years that his situation improved. He registered a company, secured loans and investments, and even won a project from Shao Baitong and bought some land.
But because of this, he was burdened with a mountain of debt, and his finances were even tighter than in previous years.
Back then, he was able to buy a house for his parents in Anshan Town, but in the last two years, he has really run out of money.
Fortunately, there is construction going on everywhere, and money comes in quickly. After he receives the money in a few days, he can buy a house for Guan Baiyu.
The elevator apartment building that recently opened in Changxi City is excellent; he's had his eye on it for a while now.
However, he originally thought that if Guan Baiyu wanted to break up, he would buy him a house so that they could part amicably. Now... he was wondering how they would live together then.
Guan Baiyu said, "We should buy a house. It's not good to keep renting... How much money do you have?"
Shi Zhen said, "When I receive the money, after deducting my salary and loan repayments, I'll still have 500,000 yuan. The apartments in that complex cost 3,000 to 4,000 yuan per square meter, so I can buy one that's over 100 square meters."
Before 1998, many people were afraid to buy houses because they didn't mock the housing provided by their work units, fearing that their work units would stop providing them after they bought one.
But when the welfare housing allocation stopped, everyone started buying houses like crazy.
The housing prices in Changxi City have been rising in recent years, which is one of the reasons why they make so much money.
Guan Baiyu thought for a moment and said, "We'll take out a loan and buy three sets."
"What?" Shi Zhen was a little confused. There were only two of them, why would they buy three apartments? And those were for mortgage payments...
Guan Baiyu added, "I still have some money on hand. If I take out a loan for a few more years, the amount I have to pay back won't be much."
Shi Zhen is a very generous person.
Especially when his family members keep asking him for money.
Shi Zhen usually gives him living expenses, initially two thousand a month, now four thousand a month.
But if his family asks him for money... he remembers and, worried that he might not have enough, he'll give them a little extra.
So when Shi Zhen had cash flow problems, he was able to come up with money.
Later, Shi Zhen returned the money to him, and he saved some more, now he has about 150,000 yuan in his hands.
Actually, even if Shi Zhen hadn't said it, he was already planning to buy a house. But since Shi Zhen mentioned it... well, he'll buy a few more.
In the dream, Shi Zhen kept saying that housing prices would rise.
"I think housing prices will rise, and I want to buy a few more properties," Guan Baiyu said, her eyes red as she looked at Shi Zhen.
Seeing that pitiful little face... Shi Zhen readily agreed: "Okay, okay, then I'll buy a few more sets!"
If we buy three properties, the loan amount will be quite large. If Guan Baiyu can't repay it later... he can't possibly be unable to come up with this much money.
He can still use the land he just bought as collateral for a loan.
Guan Baiyu smiled when he saw that Shi Zhen had agreed.
Shi Zhen suddenly felt a little distracted, and then remembered what Guan Baiyu had said earlier: "What you said before, that... it has a bad influence..."
"So, do you like it?" Guan Baiyu asked Shi Zhen.
"Ahem..." Shi Zhen was a little embarrassed.
"If you don't like it, I won't say anything," Guan Baiyu said.
“It’s not that I don’t like it… it’s just that, don’t tell me outside… aren’t you going to be a teacher? It’s not a good idea,” Shi Zhen said.
Zhao Dongjuan was telling others about her relationship with Guan Baiyu... it's still unresolved.
“Okay, then I’ll only talk about it when it’s just the two of us in the future,” Guan Baiyu said.
Shi Zhen nodded: "Yes, it's okay to talk about it when it's just the two of us."
"Brother, I love you the most... then do you love me?" Guan Baiyu asked again.
He had never thought of asking this question before; in his life, no one would ever ask him whether they loved him or not.
But when he sees people being affectionate in his dreams, he feels a little uneasy and wants to say something.
The main reason was... Shi Zhen seemed a bit hesitant, which made him want to tease Shi Zhen.
Shi Zhen: "You...I..."
"You don't love me?" Guan Baiyu snorted coldly, sounding somewhat fierce.
Shi Zhen said, "If I didn't like you, could I live with you?"
After he finished speaking, he didn't look up anymore, and kept his head down as he ate his noodles.
"You don't even look at me when you talk, are you lying to me?" Guan Baiyu asked again. He knew Shi Zhen was embarrassed, and he just wanted to see Shi Zhen's embarrassed look.
Having died once, he became somewhat reckless.
He would never have spoken to Shi Zhen like that before.
As a result, Shi Zhen actually looked up: "Stop thinking about all sorts of things all day long!"
Guan Baiyu couldn't help but laugh when he saw him like this.
Shi Zhen suddenly felt something was off.
Shi Zhen Company still had a lot of things to do and had to leave after finishing their meal. After thinking for a moment, he quickly washed the dishes before saying to Guan Baiyu, "You should rest well at home. I'll bring you some food back for lunch."
"Okay." Guan Baiyu agreed, then added, "Don't forget, you promised me you wouldn't smoke or drink anymore."
Shi Zhen: "...Alright..."
“If you keep smoking and drinking and ruin your health… when you’re in your forties or fifties and look old and frail, I’ll still look young… what if people think you’re my dad when we go out? Maybe other people will even like me…”
"Damn it!" Shi Zhen couldn't help but curse, "I'll beat the crap out of him!"
"Be careful!" Guan Baiyu said again, touching Shi Zhen's face.
He and Shi Zhen are more than two years apart. When they first met... when they stood together, Shi Zhen looked only slightly older than him.
But now, six years later, Shi Zhen is twenty-eight years old. Because he is always exposed to the sun while working on construction projects, and he also smokes and drinks, he looks like he is in his early thirties.
He is different.
He has paid close attention to his appearance in recent years and spends a lot of time at home, rarely getting any sun, so he looks much younger than Shi Zhen.
If Shi Zhen continues like this... he will really look much older than him.
In the past, he would always go along with Shi Zhen, and even hoped that Shi Zhen's appearance would decline, so that Shi Zhen would not attract other women outside.
But now... he feels much more at ease.
Shi Zhen stormed off in a rage.
Once outside, he thought back and felt a little uneasy.
The people on their construction site all looked older than the last.
On the contrary, the locals in Changxi City, those who sit in offices... all look younger than the last.
Those people who started working for him on the construction site a long time ago, and are now in their forties, would definitely believe it if they said they were in their fifties or sixties.
But what about the officials he saw in Changxi City? They were all fair-skinned, with jet-black hair, and their sons were already in high school and in their forties. He thought they were only in their thirties.
Guan Baiyu already looks young, and with proper care, he can maintain his youthful appearance.
He's just a roughneck. Will Guan Baiyu look down on him in another ten or twenty years?
Shi Zhen scratched his hair, feeling a bit like smoking.
They're quite busy at the construction site, so he can't help but smoke. He smokes at least a pack a day, and he also shares cigarettes from time to time, so he always keeps several cartons of cigarettes in his car.
But thinking of Guan Baiyu, he gritted his teeth and endured it.
Having just dealt with Shao Baitong, Shi Zhen has a lot to do, mainly because he's the kind of person who... likes to do things personally.
If you get used to trying to do everything at once, you'll find it hard to let go.
Once at the construction site, Shi Zhen got busy, and people would often offer him cigarettes.
Shi Zhen put away the cigarette but didn't smoke it.
"Shi Zhen, why aren't you smoking?" the person offering the cigarette asked.
“I plan to quit smoking,” Shi Zhen said.
The man said, "Why quit smoking? For us men, life is meaningless if we don't smoke or drink."
"I've been coughing a lot lately, so I'm not smoking anymore," Shi Zhen said.
The man was still muttering, "Coughing has nothing to do with smoking. My child doesn't smoke a single cigarette, but he still coughs non-stop."
“You smoke at home, exposing him to secondhand smoke, and you still have the nerve to say that!” Shi Zhen said.
Shi Zhen had heard about secondhand smoke from Guan Baiyu, who told him not to smoke in front of Zhao Qiujuan's children.
Knowing that secondhand smoke was bad, he stopped smoking in front of Guan Baiyu. When he felt the urge, he would go to the stairwell and smoke by the window; he even placed ashtrays on the windowsill.
Of course, there was another reason why he acted this way... Although Guan Baiyu didn't say it, he could sense that Guan Baiyu didn't like him smelling of smoke or sweat.
Back then, Guan Baiyu would be somewhat reluctant to visit his relatives.
Although he felt Guan Baiyu was too particular, he would still pay attention to it.
At noon, Shi Zhen bought some raw wontons and some cooked food, and hurriedly went home.
He was afraid that Guan Baiyu wouldn't eat anything while he was away from home.
When he got home, Guan Baiyu had indeed not eaten or cooked. He was hunched over the table, writing something, no one knew.
"Time to eat!" Shi Zhen called out.
Guan Baiyu is organizing the information he received from his dream.
He slowly closed the notebook and went out to get something to eat.
Shi Zhen bought him braised chicken liver, a roast chicken, and some braised tofu, and kept urging him to eat more.
As for the vegetables, Shi Zhen cooked them this morning, but they haven't finished them yet.
After Guan Baiyu finished eating the wontons, Shi Zhen said, "You get some sleep, I'm leaving now!"
Guan Baiyu asked, "Is your company... really that busy?"
"Of course, with so much money I make, how could I not be busy?" Shi Zhen said with some pride.
According to Shi Zhen in the dream... he was depressed for a long time, but he didn't go bankrupt. In fact, because of the appreciation of those lands, he inexplicably gained a large sum of money.
Guan Baiyu simply said, "Come back early tonight."
"What's wrong?" Shi Zhen asked.
Guan Baiyu said expressionlessly, "I'm scared to be home alone."
Shi Zhen: "...Okay..." When he does this business, everyone in the circle will treat each other to meals, and there are a lot of dinner parties.
Shi Zhen used to attend these events in order to get on Shao Baitong's good side and improve his reputation.
But now that Shao Baitong has run into trouble... missing a few meals won't matter.
Just say you have an upset stomach and can't eat anymore.
He sacrificed a lot for Guan Baiyu! He had lung problems and couldn't smoke, and he had stomach problems and couldn't eat or drink alcohol.
In the afternoon, Shi Zhen went to the construction site and saw Shi Xingchao looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated.
"What's wrong?" Shi Zhen asked him.
Shi Xingchao asked, "Shi Zhen... how are things going with you and Guan Baiyu?"
When Zhao Dongjuan told people about Shi Zhen and Guan Baiyu, the first people to know were her fellow villagers.
They were all stunned.
They knew that Guan Baiyu and Shi Zhen lived together, and they thought that Shi Zhen had just found someone to do his laundry and cook for him. Who would have thought that Shi Zhen had actually found himself a wife?
However, Guan Baiyu is indeed good-looking.
But... this won't last long, and now Guan Baiyu is going to be a teacher... he probably won't want to get involved with Shi Zhen anymore.
Although Shi Zhen was rich, they also knew that the locals in Changxi City looked down on them.
“We… are doing fine!” Shi Zhen said.
Shi Xingchao was a little confused.
Shi Zhen was not happy a while ago, saying that Guan Baiyu didn't like to talk to him, and they even advised him to break up. How come he's all better now?
Shi Zhen added, "He was too tired recently, which is why he was in a bad mood... You know, studying is especially tiring! He's fine now, nothing's wrong... I can't abandon him... He... He'll cry."
Shi Zhen was particularly happy when he said this.
Shi Xingchao swallowed back all the words of advice he wanted to say.
Shi Zhen added, "If anyone asks about my affair with Guan Baiyu, just say it's all a lie, nothing like that happened! Zhao Dongjuan is just trying to extort money from me because she thinks I didn't give her enough! Don't expect me to give her another penny!"
Zhao Dongjuan was fond of taking advantage of others, but Shi Zhen never took it seriously.
The main problem is that there are plenty of people around him who like to take advantage of others.
There are quite a few people on their construction site who try every means to swindle money from him.
Zhao Dongjuan's gossip this time can't be considered a major mistake. Which of the gossipy aunts and grandmothers in her hometown doesn't gossip?
In short, it cannot be considered illegal or criminal.
But what she did was really offensive.
“I’ve always told people it’s fake,” Shi Xingchao said.
"That's good," Shi Zhen said.
Shi Zhen was aware that people had been looking at him strangely lately, and he hoped that the news would only circulate within their circle and not reach Guan Baiyu.
In addition... he planned to find someone to see if he could get Guan Baiyu a job.
While Shi Zhen was worried about Guan Baiyu's work, Guan Baiyu himself remained quite calm.
He valued his work highly, mainly because he felt... he wasn't good enough for Shi Zhen.
However, having died once and had a dream, his feelings actually subsided.
In the afternoon, Guan Baiyu took a taxi to the police station.
He registered his information at the police station.
He always felt that what he dreamed about was real, but he wasn't sure. Now... he wanted to see if his parents from his dream would come looking for him.
Because of this, he even said that he might have been kidnapped from the train station by human traffickers.
After registering, Guan Baiyu went to see the property development that Shi Zhen had mentioned.
The houses in that development are really good; at least in Changxi City at this stage, they are top-notch.
Each building is about ten stories high, with three apartments per floor and an elevator... Guan Baiyu thought that they could just buy an entire floor.
Of course, parking spaces are also essential. Currently, many families in Changxi City do not own cars, but the number of families with cars will definitely increase in the future.
After viewing the apartment, Guan Baiyu went home and started cooking.
Shi Zhen hadn't finished the pork belly he cooked in the morning, nor the cooked food he bought at noon. He couldn't even finish it all for dinner, so he just cooked rice in the rice cooker and stir-fried some vegetables.
We're just waiting for Shi Zhen to come back!
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